Street Rats
by Meg Rider
Summary: Meg, Flynn, Aladdin, Sadira, Esmeralda and Jim live on the streets of Maldonia... Prince Hercules and Princess Jasmine's kingdom... and have to steal money and food. They must stay hidden from the royal guards and fight for their survival.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This story is a little different than my other stories, but it's one that I'm very excited about._

"What are you doing?" A deep voice demanded.

Sadira was caught with her hand in a man's pocket. She closed her fist around his money and pulled her hand out. He grabbed her wrist, but she was able to twist out of his clutch. She quickly turned and ran through the crowd.

"Guards!" the man called.

Two of the royal guards spotted Sadira and ran after her. Sadira laughed as she tightened her grip on the money. She spotted another crowd just a head of her and ducked among them. No one seemed to notice her and she took this opportunity to pick-pocket a couple of them as she made her way through.

"Stop, thief!" one of the guards yelled out.

That got everyone's attention and some of the people in the crowd reached out to stop Sadira. She swiftly dodged their hands and got away. The guards weren't far behind her, but still had to make their way through the mass of people between them. Sadira paused briefly to salute the guards, then turned down an alley. An old homeless man was sitting next to a garbage can, eating something he must have pulled from it. Sadira dropped a couple of coins in front of him and gave him a quick wave as she ran away. The man quickly gathered the coins and hid them. It was well known to all of the poor people in the kingdom of Maldonia that if a guard sees you with money, he will assume you stole it and you will be brought to Prince Hercules for a punishment. Most times Hercules had your hand cut off or sentenced you to a life in the castle dungeon. If a girl was caught, Hercules allowed the guards to do with her what they pleased.

Sadira weaved through different shops and houses, trying to lose the guards. The guards were catching up to her, though. They always pursued the women more vigorously than the men. Sadira ran down another alley. There was a small opening between two houses that wasn't noticeable, unless you knew it was there. Sadira quickly slipped between the houses and hid in the shadows. She watched the guards run passed her, then continued through opening to the other side. She looked around, but didn't see the guards. She ran out and made her way to the tavern. She walked into the tavern, closing the door behind her. She spotted the owner of the tavern, Gaston, standing at one of the tables talking to some guys. His wife, Vanessa, was behind the bar pouring a drink. Sadira walked over to her.

"Hi, Sadira," Vanessa greeted.

Sadira laid a couple coins on the bar. "Here's our rent."

Sadira had pick-pocketed Vanessa once and she caught her. Gaston had been with Vanessa and wanted to turn her in. Aladdin and Fynn had been near by and came to help Sadira. It was then that Vanessa realized the five of them were working together and that impressed her. Vanessa offered to let them stay above the tavern, as long as they paid rent. At first, Gaston had been against it, but it didn't take long for them grow on him.

Vanessa handed the drink to a man who was staring lustily at her. Every guy in the kingdom was afraid of Gaston and never dared to hit on his wife. Vanessa scooped up the coins Sadira gave her and put them in her coin purse.

"Where did you get this money, Sadira?" Vanessa asked.

Sadira shrugged, then winked at her.

"Hey, Sadira!" Gaston greeted, putting his hand on her shoulder. "On time, as usual."

Sadira smiled at him. "Always."

"All right, well get out of here before a guard sees you," Gaston said. "I'll send Vanessa up later tonight with some leftover food."

"Thank you," Sadira said.

Vanessa smiled at Sadira and Sadira slipped out the back. She climbed up the rickety wooden ladder to the small room above the tavern. Her friends Aladdin, Meg, Flynn and Esmeralda were waiting for her. They all had their own stories of how they ended up on the streets, but they didn't really open up to each other; so, they didn't know each other's stories. They all came across each other by chance and formed a little pack called the Street Rats. No one else knew they were all working together; they each had their role to play. Esmeralda was the founder of the group and was like a mother-figure to everyone else. She was a wonderful dancer and danced to draw everyone's attention to her. Once everyone was watching her, Sadira and Aladdin pick-pocketed them while Flynn stole food from carts and Meg flirted with the guards to keep them distracted.

"Sadira, what happened to you?" Flynn asked.

Sadira shrugged as she handed her money to Esmeralda. "I got caught."

"Are you all right?" Aladdin asked.

"Of course," Sadira said.

Sadira was secretly glad to see Aladdin had been worried about her. They had been together for a while not long ago and he had ended it saying it wasn't "working out", but Sadira still wanted him.

"How did you get caught?" Flynn asked. "You're the best pick-pocket out there."

"Evidently, someone isn't as a good of a dancer as she thinks she is," Meg said flatly, fixing her hair.

Esmeralda stood up and seductively swayed her hips, making the bells on her sash jingle. "Or maybe he was gay."

Everyone laughed, but Meg just rolled her eyes. She was not easily impressed. Sadira couldn't really figure Meg out; none of them could. They couldn't tell if she liked them and was just sarcastic or if she actually didn't like any of them. They never questioned her, though. Meg was really good at keeping the guards distracted and they needed her.

"Nonetheless, Sadira, you were spotted today so they're going to be looking for you," Esmeralda said. "You need to lay low for a while."

Sadira nodded, even though everyone knew she wouldn't listen to Esmeralda.

Esmeralda frowned. "Just be careful, Sadira."

"I will."

Vanessa came up then with a small tray of food and a couple cups of wine. Everyone gave her a friendly greeting.

"I'm sorry it's not much," Vanessa said.

"It's all right," Flynn said. "I managed to get some food today."

"All right." Vanessa set the tray down. "Watch yourselves out there. You know Gaston and I worry about you."

Esmeralda put her arm around Vanessa's shoulders. "We'll be okay."


	2. Chapter 2

Jasmine took her seat next to Hercules as the guards brought in yet another thief for sentencing. The man they brought in was thin and tired looking. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old, but he looked like he was in his fifties. Jasmine couldn't help feeling bad for him. No doubt there was more to his story than anyone knew. Of course, the guards didn't bother to find out what was going on; they just wanted the thief's blood and Hercules' praise.

"I caught this man stealing food," one guard told Hercules as he shoved the man down to his knees.

"Please, sir," the man begged. "I haven't eaten days and I have no money."

"That is not my concern," Hercules said. "Do you know the punishment for stealing in my kingdom?"

The man lowered his head. "Yes, sir."

Hercules tilted his head to the side. "I have not seen you before. Is this your first offense?"

The man looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully. "Yes, sir."

"Very well," Hercules said. "Since this is your first offense, and I'm in a good mood, instead of losing your whole hand, you will only lose your index finger."

"No, sir, please!" the man pleaded.

"My decision is final," Hercules stated. "If you're arrested again, you will lose your whole hand."

Hercules waved his hand and the guards dragged the man away. Jasmine bit her tongue to keep from speaking out against her husband. Obviously that man had only been stealing what he needed to survive. But, Hercules had no compassion for anyone who was from a lower class than he. Jasmine had told him more than once that his punishments were too harsh. But, he would only respond by saying she had no idea how to run a kingdom.

Hercules stood and held his hand out to Jasmine. She took his hand and he helped her up. They walked over to the balcony and looked out over the streets of their kingdom. Hercules put his arm around Jasmine.

"Look at them, Jasmine," Hercules said. "Each one of them wants mercy and pity from me, but what have they done to deserve it? Respect has to be earned; it can't just be _given _away. If these thieves put as much effort into working as they do into stealing, they'd be able to make honest money."

"Dear, you have done nothing to earn their respect, yet you demand it of them. Is that not hypocrisy?" Jasmine asked.

Hercules laughed. "I do not have to earn _their _respect; I am their prince." That was all he said, as if being their prince entitled him to anything he wanted.

Jasmine looked down at her people. All of them were working hard to make a living, and all of them were still having trouble surviving. Jasmine did not think it was fair that while they were struggling, Hercules and even she were just given everything without having to do anything in return. Though, while Hercules was away Jasmine would dress in a disguise and buy something from each of the merchants in her kingdom. Hercules did not approve of Jasmine going out among the "commoners"; he thought they would all try taking advantage of her. He preferred for her to stay inside the castle at all times. Locked away like one of his prisoners. Hercules saw it as protection, but Jasmine just felt trapped.

"I must get going," Hercules said. "Duty calls."

Jasmine nodded and kissed her husband before he left. Of course, Jasmine loved her husband; even if it was an arranged marriage. She didn't agree with his laws, but she supported Hercules, as a good wife should.

However, that did not stop Jasmine from trying to help her people. When she was sure Hercules was gone, she made her way down to the dungeons. There was only one guard on duty, John Smith. When John saw Jasmine, he walked over to a cell and unlocked it. Jasmine quickly went into the cell. The man the guards had brought in earlier was sitting in the corner. He stiffened when he saw Jasmine.

"It's all right," Jasmine said. "I'm here to help you."

Jasmine reached into her change purse and pulled out a couple coins. She handed them to the man and he hesitantly took them.

"My husband can't know about this," Jasmine told him. "If anyone asks, you escaped."

Jasmine led the man out of the cell. "Thank you, John."

John nodded. "It wasn't easy interfering with his punishment. The men had been looking forward to cutting that man's finger off."

"I know. I really appreciate your help." Jasmine took a few more coins out and gave them to John.

Jasmine then led the man through a series of tunnels that led out of the castle. "Please be careful," she told him. "Don't get arrested again."

"I would ask why you're helping me, Princess, but I don't want to push my luck," the man said. "So, I'll just say thank you."

Jasmine smiled at him. "You're welcome."

The man looked around, then ran off. Jasmine quickly made her way back through the tunnels and up to her bed chamber. She sat down on her bed. A small _meow _came from next to the bed and Jasmine looked down. Her orange kitten, Rajah, was sitting next to her feet. She reached down and picked it up. He curled up in her lap and started purring. Jasmine smiled and started petting him. Sometimes she felt like her only friend was Rajah. Jasmine longed to have somebody she could really talk to; someone who would look passed her title and actually want to get to know _her. _But, she knew that would never happen; it seemed like no one ever saw things from someone else's point of view. No one liked being judged, yet they were still quick to judge other people. In everyone else's eyes she would always be nothing but a princess, and a thief would just be nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Esmeralda swayed her hips as she slowly moved in a circle around the raised platform. As she turned to face the crowd again she began to dance more seductively. She gave a flirty smile to everyone she made eye contact with, but was careful not to look at her friends as they each went about their business. It suddenly began pouring rain. Everyone started scurrying around. Afraid that her friends who be noticed, Esmeralda kept dancing to keep everyone distracted. She tilted her head back as the rain hit her. She slowly ran her hands down her body. Whistles rang out from in front of her and she knew she still had the majority of the crowd's attention. She went down on her knees and winked at the guards. She ran her hands back up her body and over her face, gently biting the tip of her pinky and some of the men cheered. She searched the crowd. Meg had left when the rain started. She didn't see Sadira or Flynn, but she did meet Aladdin's eyes and he gave her a small nod to signal that everyone had left. Esmeralda lied back, then did a back somersault, landing on her feet. She took a bow, then jumped off the platform and ran away. She slowed to a walk once she was no longer in sight of the men in the crowd.

Esmeralda didn't mind the rain. She had been living on the streets since she was quite young and was used to it. She decided to take the long way home to give herself a little alone time. But, as she turned down an alley she noticed someone huddled against the wall. She walked over to them. A young boy sat on the ground with his arms wrapped around his legs and his forehead resting on his knees.

"Hello," Esmeralda said to him.

The boy looked up, but didn't say anything. Esmeralda could now see he was about eighteen or nineteen years old.

"What are you doing out here in the rain?" Esmeralda asked him.

"Where else would I be?" The boy's tone was very snippy.

Esmeralda shrugged. "Home?"

The boy leaned back against the wall. "I don't have a home."

"What happened?" Esmeralda asked.

"That's none of your business," the boy said. "I don't even know you."

Esmeralda knelt down in front of him, feeling the wet dirt seeping through her skirt. "My name is Esmeralda."

"Knowing your name doesn't mean I _know _you," the boy said.

"You're right," Esmeralda said. "But, it's a start."

The boy stared at Esmeralda with a blank expression before finally saying, "My name is Jim."

Esmeralda smiled at him. "Jim, how does a boy like you end up alone in alley in the rain?"

Jim sighed. "My father caught me stealing and beat me. So, I ran away."

"He _beat _you?" Esmeralda couldn't see any evidence of physical abuse on the boy.

Jim got to his knees and lifted his shirt. Esmeralda bit her lip as she looked at the bruises on his torso. He pulled his shirt back down.

"I'm never going back there," Jim said.

Esmeralda slowly nodded. "Would you like to stay with my friends and me?"

Jim glared at her. "I don't need your charity."

"It's not charity," Esmeralda said. "My friends and I are like you. We were all living on the streets for a long time, until we found a shelter. But, we're all thieves, too."

"I'm fine on my own," Jim said.

"Well, at least stay with us for the night to get out of the rain," Esmeralda suggested.

"No," Jim snapped. "You do me this favor, and then I'll have to owe you something. Forget it. I can take care of myself."

Esmeralda shook her head. "You won't owe us anything. My friends and I aren't like that. We look out for the people who are less lucky than we are."

"So, what, you guys are like the village superheroes, swooping in to save the poor unfortunate souls on the streets?" Jim said, icily.

Esmeralda chuckled. "No. We just try to keep the people of our village out of Hercules' prison."

Jim narrowed his eyes at Esmeralda as if he was searching for something inside her.

"It's just one night," Esmeralda said. "You can leave in the morning and never see any of us again, if you want."

A bolt of lightning snaked across the sky, immediately followed by a loud boom of thunder. Esmeralda looked up at the sky, then back at Jim. He had a softer expression on his face now.

"Just one night," Jim said.

Esmeralda smiled at him and stood up. She held out her hand to help him up, but he ignored her hand and got to his feet. They hurried to the tavern as more lightning lit up the night. They walked behind the building, just as Meg was approaching from the other side. Meg looked at them, but didn't greet them before making her way up to their little apartment. Esmeralda followed her up, with Jim right behind her. Sadira and Aladdin were sitting on the floor, counting their money. Flynn was stretched out on a blanket, watching the lightning through a hole in the wall that they used as a window. The rain was coming down at a slight angle and a puddle was starting to form on the floor under the window.

"Hey, guys," Esmeralda said. "This is Jim. He ran away from home and he's going to be staying with us for the night. Jim, that's Aladdin and Sadira, that's Flynn and that's Meg."

Aladdin, Saidra and Flynn gave Jim a quick greeting. Meg ignored them and walked over to the window. She bent over the puddle and began ringing out her hair. Esmeralda noticed Jim staring at Meg.

Esmeralda leaned in closer to Jim. "Forget about it," she whispered. "Meg has sworn off love and refuses to get into a relationship. Believe me; Flynn has tried many times with her."

Jim looked a little disappointed, but he just shrugged.

"Anyways," Esmeralda said. "As you can see, we don't really have any furniture, so just pick a spot on the floor to sleep."

Jim nodded and walked over to a corner. He curled up with his back to everyone and fell right asleep. Flynn got off the blanket to let Sadira use it and he lied down next to her. Aladdin took his usual place next to the entrance of the room. He was a light sleeper, so no one would be able to get in without him knowing. Meg knelt down next to the window and just stared outside, like she did every night. She was always the last one to go to sleep. Esmeralda often wondered what Meg's story was and what she thought about while she stared out at the night. Esmeralda lied down near Jim. She closed her eyes and listened to the rain as she slowly fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"I knew you couldn't stay away." 

Meg gave the guard a flirtatious smile, trying not to flinch when he ran his fingers down her arm.

"You're hard to stay away from," Meg said in a low voice.

Meg wasn't even putting on her best flirting act, but the guard was totally buying it. It always seemed to work out that the Street Rats pulled their con act on this particular guard's shift, so Meg had been flirting with him a lot lately. It wasn't surprising that he thought she had a thing for him.

As her friends took their places, Meg moved closer to the guard. Her body brushed against his and he smiled at her. Esmeralda's music started and Meg started swaying her hips a little to keep his attention on her. As she slowly grinded against him, the strap off her dress fell off her shoulder. She went to fix it, but he stopped her.

Meg winked at him. "I guess you have that affect on my clothes." She forced a seductive smile. "You're so handsome."

"Stop thief!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

Meg and the guard turned to look where the commotion was coming from. Sadira was, yet again, being chased down. _Damn it, Sadira! _Meg thought. The guard started going after her, but Meg grabbed him and kissed him.

"Everyone's distracted," Meg whispered. "Now is the perfect time to get out of here."

The guard looked down at her and she let the other strap of her dress fall off her shoulders. He smiled at her and led her to a nearby alley. He grabbed Meg and roughly pushed her down on the ground. Meg winced as she felt broken glass cut into her back. The guard suddenly turned into an animal. He threw her skirt up around her waist and grabbed her throat as he forced himself inside her.

"You're hurting me," Meg told him. "Please stop."

The guard slapped Meg hard across the face. "Stop being a tease."

Meg gripped handfuls of dirt to keep from crying out in pain. Of course this wasn't the first time Meg had to give up her body to keep a guard from going after one of her friends, but it never got any easier.

Meg could tell the guard was about to climax and she shoved him off her. There was no way she was going to risk getting pregnant. She scrambled to get up and run, but he grabbed her leg and pulled her back down. Meg landed face first in the dirt and he dragged her back towards him. He flipped her over on her back and punched her. She grabbed some dirt and threw it in his face, then kicked him. As soon as he let go of her, Meg ran away. When she saw that he wasn't coming after her, she sighed in relief and ran back to the apartment. She made her way up the ladder and stormed into the room. Sadira was there alone, counting her money. Meg marched towards her and pulled her to her feet by her hair. Sadira yelped, but Meg didn't let her go.

"What the hell, Sadira!" Meg demanded. "Esmeralda told you to lay low!"

Sadira clawed at Meg's hand and tried to get free, but Meg was stronger than her and it didn't work.

"This is the second time in the last week that you've been caught!" Meg continued. "Do you have any idea what I had to go through today to protect your ass?"

"What's going on?"

Meg and Sadira turned to see Flynn and Jim standing in the doorway.

"What's going on?" Flynn repeated. "C'mon, Meg, let her go."

Meg glared at Flynn, but then threw Sadira back on the floor.

"Bitch," Sadira muttered.

Meg went to slap Sadira, but Flynn grabbed her wrist.

"Meg, please calm down," Flynn said.

Meg pulled her hand free and went down to the tavern to clean up. The tavern was closed during the day, so no one was around. She grabbed a rag and went over to the sink.

"Meg?"

Meg spun around to see Jim standing behind her. "What is it?"

"What happened?" Jim asked.

Meg licked the blood off her bottom lip. "Turns out that guard likes to play rough."

"Did he...?" Jim looked nervous, like he didn't want to finish his question.

"Rape me?" Meg shook her head. "Not exactly."

"You shouldn't have to go through this," Jim said.

"It's all part of the job, kid," Meg said, gently dabbing the cut on her lip.

"Let me help you." Jim walked over to her and put his hand on her back.

Meg cried out in pain and leaned over the sink. Jim jumped back and glanced down on her back.

"Meg, the back of your dress is ripped and there's blood on it," Jim said.

Meg nodded. "I was laying on broken glass."

Jim carefully took Meg by the hand and led her over to a table. Meg sat sideways in one of the chairs, noticing that her arms had gotten cut up when the guard had dragged her across the ground. Jim filled a bowl with warm water and grabbed a clean rag. He pulled a chair up behind Meg.

"Do you mind if I clean up your back?" Jim asked.

Meg shook her head. She slipped her arms out of the straps so her back was revealed, but she held her dress up so her chest was still covered. She heard Jim inhale sharply through his teeth.

"Is it bad?" Meg asked.

"You're cut up pretty bad," Jim said. "Your whole back is covered in blood."

Jim dipped the rag in the water, then gingerly started wiping it over Meg's back. She winced in pain and gripped her dress tighter.

"It looks like there's still some small pieces of glass stuck in your skin," Jim said after all the blood had been cleaned up. "I'm going to remove 'em, but it might hurt a little."

Meg nodded and braced herself. As Jim slowly gently pulled the glass out of her, tears sprung to Meg's eyes. When he was done, Jim dabbed at her cuts with rag.

"All the blood made the cuts look worse than they actually are," Jim said. He took one of her arms and cleaned it up, then did the same with the other. "It looks like that shiner is the worst of it."

Meg automatically reached up and touched her eye, where the guard had punched her. She then looked up at Jim who was now standing in front of her.

"Thanks," Meg muttered, slipping the straps of her dress back over her shoulders.

"You're welcome."

After a few moments of silence, Meg cleared her throat. "I thought you were leaving."

Jim looked protectively at Meg. "I think I'm gonna stay for a while."


	5. Chapter 5

Princess Jasmine stared at her reflection as she brushed her long black hair. Night had fallen over her kingdom and she was now preparing for bed. Through the mirror she saw the door to the room open and Hercules walked in. She set her brush down on her vanity and turned to face him.

"How was your day, dear?" Jasmine asked. Hercules had left early that morning, before she even woke up, so this was the first time she had seen him all day.

Hercules unclasped his cape and hung it on a hook on the wall. "It was the same as everyday."

Jasmine nodded, though she knew that wasn't true. Hercules preferred to keep his business to himself. There wasn't much he shared with his wife when it came to the politics of running his kingdom. It bothered Jasmine a great deal that Hercules didn't think she was capable of running her own kingdom, but she never spoke against him. She knew very well what happened to those who got on Hercules' bad side.

Hercules stripped off his clothes as he walked across the room. Jasmine stood up and walked over to the bed. Hercules lied down and she smiled at him. She slipped off the straps of her nightgown and let it fall onto the floor. She then joined her husband in the bed. Hercules kissed her as he rolled over on top of her. Jasmine's body tensed as he entered her. Hercules felt this and broke the kiss.

"Did I hurt you?" Hercules asked, carefully.

"I'm all right," Jasmine replied.

Hercules lowered his mouth to her neck and gently kissed her. Jasmine closed her eyes and leaned her head back. This was part of the day that Jasmine liked the least. Not that she didn't enjoy making love to her husband, because she did; at least, her body did.

Jasmine had always hoped that when she finally laid with a man, he would be somebody that she loved, not somebody that had been chosen for her. Over time, of course, Jasmine became fond of Hercules and even began to love him. But, she only loved him by default, because she _had _to love him; it wasn't true love. She knew Hercules loved her more than she loved him and that was what made her feel guilty every time she made love to him. Hercules could have had any princess to be his wife; why he chose the poor girl selling flowers on the street, she didn't know.

Hercules pulled Jasmine into one last kiss as he climaxed. He then rolled off her and the two of them put on their night clothes. Jasmine got back into bed and cuddled up close to her husband, but he made no attempt to be affectionate with her. Jasmine rested her head on his chest and put her hand over his heart. Hercules' heartbeat was calm, but the expression on his face told Jasmine that something was weighing heavily on him.

"What is it, dear?" Jasmine asked him.

Hercules looked down at her, but his eyes were distant. "My father has grown more ill recently."

Jasmine lowered eyes. "Yes, I know."

Hercules' mother had died a few years ago after she became sick and now the same thing was happening to his father. When his father first became ill, Hercules completely threw himself into work, hoping to keep his mind occupied and distracted, but it wasn't working. Now that his father was even sicker, Jasmine could see that Hercules was slowly falling apart. This meant bad news for the people of their kingdom, for Hercules would take all of his anger and frustration out on them.

"Jasmine, if-" Hercules cleared his throat. "_When _my father dies, I will take his place as king. A lot of extra pressure has been put on me because of this."

"Oh, Hercules, you have nothing to worry about," Jasmine said, trying to comfort her husband. "You run this kingdom just as your father did."

"No, Jasmine, that's not it," Hercules said, getting frustrated.

"Then, I don't understand. What is it that they want from you?" Jasmine asked.

"An heir."

Jasmine didn't know how to respond to that but, thankfully, Hercules continued.

"Jasmine, we have been married for the better part of two years now and you still haven't gotten pregnant," Hercules said. "The queen's only duty is to produce heirs to the kingdom."

After a few moments of silence, Jasmine said, "I don't know why I haven't gotten pregnant."

Jasmine hadn't given much thought to bearing children or the fact that she still hadn't become pregnant. Of course, she should have because it was not normal for a married woman of her age to not have at least one child.

"It's not your fault," Hercules said, finally putting his arm around his wife. "I know I've been busy and we haven't lain together in a while. But, we will need to change that. Jasmine, we must make love to each other every night if there's any chance of us having us having a son before I become king."

Jasmine could only imagine the immense pressure Hercules would be under if he rose to king and she was still not with child. Of course, just any child would not do; Jasmine must give birth to a boy. If she was incapable of having a son, the king would be forced to find someone who could. Hercules would have no choice but to take on a mistress. Jasmine stared at her wedding ring as she thought about Hercules making love to another woman. Surprisingly, it didn't bother her. Jasmine had fleeting thoughts now and then of what it would be like to be married to another man. Part of Jasmine hoped she would never get pregnant. If Hercules had a son with another woman, maybe he would take her as his wife and Jasmine would finally be free to live her life her own way and possibly even fall in love.


	6. Chapter 6

It was always strange to Flynn watching Esmeralda dance. She was so much like a mother to him and the rest of the Street Rats that it didn't seem appropriate for her to dance seductively for strange men. Flynn scanned the crowd, but didn't see Aladdin. He wasn't surprised, though. Esmeralda had forbidden Sadira to con with them for the next few days (even made her stay in the tavern so Gaston could keep his eye on her), so Aladdin was on his own for getting money. Flynn knew Aladdin would be hard at work moving swiftly from one person to the next and keeping out of sight. No doubt Aladdin was the best pick-pocket he had ever met. To Flynn's knowledge, Aladdin had never been caught stealing.

Not too far from Flynn, Meg was flirting with a guard. She pretended to giggle at something he said, then she winked at him. Meg's fakeness was obvious to Flynn, but he still couldn't help feeling a little jealous. Even though it was forced, that guard got more of a smile from Meg than Flynn had ever gotten from her.

Flynn tore his eyes away from Meg and focused his attention on the nearby fruit stand. The man working the stand was young, tall and lean with tan skin and dark hair. He was clean cut and had clean clothes, which made him stand out from the rest of the people in the village. The man looked like he was doing pretty well for himself, so Flynn didn't feel bad for stealing from him. Flynn crouched down on the side of the stand and waited until the man was distracted by a customer, before reaching up and stealing a couple apples and stuffing them in his satchel. He glanced over at Meg to make sure the guard was still distracted, then stood up.

"Can I help you?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Flynn said. "I was just stopping to rest for a minute."

The man glanced down at Flynn's satchel. Flynn could feel it bulging and he knew it was obvious there were apples in it.

"What's in your bag there?" the man asked.

Flynn panicked and turned to run away.

"Hey! Come back!" the man called after him.

Flynn kept running and didn't look back. He was sure the man would try to get the guard to stop him, so he didn't slow down. His heart sank as he thought about what Meg would have to do to keep the guard from coming after him. He turned down a side street and immediately saw guards standing at the other end. He looked around to see if there were any other streets or alleys he could escape down, but all he saw were houses. He decided to cut through one of the houses. He slipped inside the closest house and quietly snuck through it. All of a sudden there was a loud metallic bang on the wall next to his head and he quickly ducked.

Flynn turned around to see a young woman with long blonde hair standing behind him. She was holding a black frying pan like it was a baseball bat. Flynn could tell she was scared, but she was trying to act tough.

"I didn't have to miss," she said.

"I know," Flynn said, though he doubted she could actually hit him. "But, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just taking a shortcut."

Flynn continued to walk across her house, but she stepped in front of him and stopped him. She held the frying pan out in front of her and he looked down at it.

"A shortcut through a house? Why don't you take the road, I'm sure it's faster?" she asked. Her eyes slowly grew wide. "You're on the run, aren't you? Are you a thief?"

It was then that a couple guards walked passed her window. She started to call out, but Flynn lunged at her, pinning her against the wall with his hand over her mouth.

"Please don't," Flynn pleaded. "I only took apples to eat. Please don't turn me into Prince Hercules. He'll have my hand cut off. Please will you let me go?"

The girl's eyes grew wide in horror and she slowly nodded. Flynn removed his hand and looked back at the window. The girl took Flynn's hand in hers and gently ran her fingers over it. Flynn turned around and looked down at her.

"What a horrible life that must be," she said quietly. "Being reduced to stealing to survive, all the time knowing that any moment you could get caught and have your hand cut off."

"Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat," Flynn said, remembering what Aladdin always says.

Rapunzel frowned. "Still, it's not right. You know when you steal from people, you're taking money away from them; even food, in this case. The person you stole from is just trying to survive like you. It isn't fair that they work hard to get by, while you just take whatever you want and screw them over."

Flynn looked down, ashamed. The apples in his satchel suddenly felt very heavy. The girl sighed.

"I know I'm going to regret this, but I want to help you," she finally said.

Flynn looked warily at her. "You do?"

She nodded. "I think we can help each other."

"How?"

"My mother works all day everyday and every morning she leaves me with a long list of chores she expects me to get done before she gets home each night," she explained. "Some things, like cleaning, I can do with no problem. But, when it comes to fixing things I have no idea what to do. If you help me out with some of the labor around my house, I'll repay you with some food."

"I can't take food from you," Flynn said. "_You_ need it."

"My mother is an aide to Princess Jasmine; we're well taken care of." The girl frowned. "Though, with you being a thief, we should keep this between us. If my mom found out a thief was in our home, she would turn you in."

"You're awfully trusting," Flynn said. "You don't even know my name and you're inviting me to come in your home."

"You're in my home now. I figure if you were going to hurt me, you would have by now," she said. "So, what _is _your name?"

"Flynn."

"I'm Rapunzel. Do we have a deal?" She stuck her hand out and Flynn slowly shook it. "This is only business, Flynn; nothing more."


	7. Chapter 7

Princess Jasmine leaned over the railing of her balcony and looked down at the people of her kingdom. Did they care if she didn't produce an heir? Would they think she wasn't fit to be queen, just like Parliament did? Jasmine sighed and went back into her room. Hercules still hadn't come to bed, but Jasmine wasn't surprised. It wasn't late and he didn't usually return until after she was asleep. 

Jasmine sat down at her vanity and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was beautiful now with her hair done for her everyday by the best stylists, her face covered with the most expensive make up and she wore the finest clothes in the kingdom. But, underneath it all Jasmine was just like the rest of people in her kingdom. She had grown up poor with her mother and her older brother. She sold flowers from their small garden in order help her mother afford food. When her mother became ill, Jasmine came to the castle in hopes to sell all of her flowers. It was a desperate act that she knew would be in vain, but she had to try. It was then that she met Hercules. He thought she was delivering the flowers that had been ordered for his mother's funeral that day. Knowing how Prince Hercules felt about poor people, Jasmine never told him the truth.

Once, Hercules met Jasmine he never wanted to let her go. She wasn't allowed to return home until one night, several months later. Jasmine put on her old peasant dress and snuck back home to see her family. But, by then her mother had died and her brother had gotten married. Jasmine felt guilty about returning home after all that time and was afraid her brother would be angry with her. He wasn't, though; he was happy to see her. He even understood when she told him that no one could find out she had come from a poor family.

Every once in a while, when she got a chance, Jasmine would sneak back to her brother's house and give them some money. It was never much, since Hercules was in complete control of their money, but it was enough to keep them from starving.

Jasmine glanced up at her closet, where she kept her peasant dress hidden. Without a second thought, she changed into the dress and slipped out of the castle. Luckily, it was dark so she made her way through the streets without being noticed. As she walked to her brother's house, Jasmine passed a young girl selling flowers. Jasmine couldn't help feeling for the young girl. She was dirty and her blonde hair was ratted. She wore a white apron over a ripped blue dress and a black bow sat crookedly on top of her head. Jasmine walked over to the girl and knelt down in front of her.

"Hi, there," Jasmine greeted. "What's your name?"

The girl looked up at Jasmine with sad blue eyes. "My name is Alice."

Jasmine smiled at her. "Your flowers are very pretty, Alice. May I buy them from you?"

Alice's eyes grew wide. "All of them?"

"Yes." Jasmine reached into her change purse and pulled out some coins.

Alice handed all of her flowers to Jasmine and Jasmine dropped the coins into her hand. Alice counted the coins and when she realized Jasmine had given her twice the amount than the flowers were worth, a huge smile spread across her face.

"Thank you so much, Miss!" Alice said.

"You're very welcome," Jasmine said. "Take care, Alice."

Jasmine stood up and arranged the flowers into a nice bouquet as she continued on to her brother's house. When she arrived, she gently knocked on the door, hoping she wasn't waking them up. However, her brother answered the door right away. As soon as she saw her brother's smiling face, Jasmine thought she was going to break down and start crying.

"Oh, Naveen, it's so good to see you!" Jasmine said as she wrapped her arms around her older brother.

Naveen hugged her back. "You, too. I've actually been hoping you'd stop by. Tiana and I have something we want to tell you."

Jasmine followed her brother inside, closing the door behind her. Tiana was asleep in a chair with a blanket covering her. Naveen bent over her and gently shook her. Tiana slowly opened her eyes and smiled at her husband.

"Tiana, Jasmine is here."

Tiana looked over at Jasmine and smiled at her. "I'm so glad you made it, honey."

Jasmine smiled back at her, then held out the flowers. "These are for you."

Tiana took the flowers and sniffed them. "They're lovely. Thank you."

Jasmine nodded. "So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Naveen sat down on the arm of the chair and put his arm around his wife. "Jasmine, Tiana is pregnant!"

Jasmine felt a jealous lump form in her throat and she forced a smile. "That's wonderful! Congratulations."

"Thank you." Tiana sat up and the blanket fell off her. A small baby bump was already starting form under her dress. "I'm going to put these flowers in some water."

Jasmine watched Tiana walk into the kitchen, then looked back at her brother. "Naveen, can I talk to you?"

"Of course," Naveen replied. "Tiana, we're gonna be in the bedroom."

"Ok, dear!" Tiana called from the kitchen.

Jasmine walked back to the bedroom and sat down on the bed as Naveen closed the door.

"Is something bothering you?" Naveen asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Yes." Jasmine clasped her hands together. "Lately there has been a lot of pressure on Hercules and me to have a son. But, I- I don't think I _can _have a baby." Tears started to run down her cheeks. "We've been trying for so long and I still haven't gotten pregnant."

"Jasmine, I'm so sorry," Naveen said. "I didn't know or we wouldn't have sprung our news on you like that."

Jasmine shook her head. "No, it's all right. I'm happy for you. I just- I don' know what to do. I wish mom was still here."

Naveen walked over to Jasmine and sat down next to her. She buried her face in his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her.

"It's going to be all right," Naveen said softly. "It took Tiana a while to get pregnant, too. When it's the right time, it _will _happen for you, Jasmine."

"I miss my old life so much sometimes," Jasmine confessed after a few moments. "And I miss mom."

"Jasmine, I have something for you." Naveen walked over to the dresser and rummaged through one of the drawers.

He then returned to the bed holding a flat, square, wooden box. He handed it to Jasmine and she saw her name was carved into the top of it.

"Tiana was cleaning out the back of the closet a few weeks ago and she found that," Naveen said.

Jasmine slowly opened the box and her breath caught. Inside the box was her mother's favorite earrings and matching necklace. They weren't expensive by any means, but right then they were the most beautiful things Jasmine had ever seen. They were made out of a goldish bronze-colored metal. The earrings were in the shape of triangles, but with curved tips and the necklace also had a curved tip in the front. Jasmine ran her fingers over the jewelry and that's when she noticed there was a piece of paper stuck underneath. She slid it out and unfolded it. Jasmine recognized the handwriting immediately as her mother's.

_Dearest Jasmine,  
>I heard you married the prince. I'm so happy for you. I miss you very much, but I'm glad you're living a better life now. I'm getting weaker and I fear I won't be around much longer, so I don't know if I'll see you again. But, there is something I want to tell you. You have grown into a beautiful, strong and smart woman and I'm so proud of you. No mother could have a better daughter. I will always be watching over you; you'll never be alone. I love you with all my heart.<em>


	8. Chapter 8

Aladdin kicked a pebble as he walked down the back streets. It was getting late, but he had no real desire to hurry back home. No, not home; back to the apartment. He didn't consider the Street Rats' hideout his home. He hasn't had a home since he was child. Of course he was grateful to have someplace to stay, but it was far from being a home. Often times Aladdin wondered how long he'd have to stay in the small room above the tavern. Too long, he guessed. He dreamed of having a place of his own someday, with a wife. Maybe not kids, though, since he didn't know the first thing about raising and taking care of a kid. But, he did hope to get married and have someone to love and share his life with.

Aladdin laughed at himself. What woman would want to be with a street rat?

_I suppose Sadira would, _Aladdin thought. But, Aladdin was over Sadira. She was selfish, reckless and just all-around crazy. He couldn't spend his life with her. Aladdin sighed. He had accepted a long time ago that he would end up alone. A guard had said to him once, _"You were born a street rat, you'll die a street rat and only your fleas will mourn you." _At first this had made Aladdin angry, but after a while, he began to accept it as truth. Except he didn't have fleas; so, ultimately, no one and nothing would mourn his death.

As Aladdin turned the corner down another back street, he noticed a flickering light flowing out from one of the houses. A man and a woman stepped out of the house. As Aladdin got a little closer he was able to make out their faces and recognized the man as Naveen. Aladdin didn't know Naveen very well; their paths had only crossed a few times. Naveen played guitar on the street sometimes to earn a little extra money. His wife, Tiana, was a cook and worked at any place that would hire her. Gaston had hired once or twice when his regular cook couldn't make in. But, Aladdin didn't recognize the woman Naveen was talking with now. She was beautiful, though. Strands of soft black hair fell over her face. She had big brown eyes and smooth, perfect skin. Aladdin wondered who she was. He had never seen her in the marketplace, he would have remembered her. She gave Naveen a hug, then started down the street, away from Aladdin. Aladdin quietly followed after her, keeping his distance. He didn't know why he felt the need to follow her, but something was pulling him.

The streets were dark and after a while, Aladdin had a hard time seeing the woman. She became more of a shadow or a silhouette and Aladdin decided he should just give up and head back to the apartment. After all: what did he hope to gain by following her? Someone as beautiful as her would never be interested in someone like him. All that would come of this is her catching him and being creeped out.

Aladdin was about to turn around when he noticed another figure step out of the shadows and approach the woman. He grabbed her and pulled her back into the alley where he had come from. She let out a small scream and Aladdin ran after them. When he turned down the alley, he saw the man had her pinned down on the ground.

"No!" She cried. "No, please don't!"

Aladdin grabbed the man and pulled him off her. Aladdin was surprised to find the man wasn't very big. Aladdin fought the man until he had knocked him out; which didn't take very long. Aladdin stepped away from the motionless body and turned towards the woman. She was sitting against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. Aladdin took a step towards her, but she tried moving away from her, so he stopped.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Aladdin said, gently.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. Aladdin crouched down in front of her.

"My name is Aladdin," he said. "Are you all right?"

She slowly nodded. "Y-yes."

"You should probably get going before he wakes up," Aladdin said.

She looked over at the man, but made no attempt to move. "What if someone else attacks me?"

"I can walk you home, if you'd like," Aladdin offered as he stood up.

She looked up at him. "How do you I know _you _won't attack me?"

"If I was going to, I would have by now."

She looked down. "I guess that's true."

"I promise I'll get you home safely," Aladdin said. "Do you trust me?"

She looked up at him as if his question took her by surprise. "What?"

Aladdin held out his hand. "Do you trust me?"

She hesitantly slid her hand into his. "Yes..."

Aladdin gently pulled her to her feet and the two of them made their way down the street.

After they had walked for a while in silence, she cleared her throat and looked up at Aladdin.

"I want to thank you for stopping that man. You probably saved my life," she said. She then smiled at him. "I guess that makes you my hero."

Aladdin laughed. "I'm no hero."

"Then an angel, maybe, sent to watch over me?" she said, still smiling at him.

"Nah. I'm just a man who happened to be in the right place at the right time," Aladdin said.

"Lucky for me."

They walked together for a little longer before she stopped.

"This is me," she said.

Aladdin looked up and realized they were only about hundred feet from the castle's entrance.

"Do you work here?" Aladdin asked, looking back down at her.

She slowly shook her head and then removed her hood, revealing her tiara. Aladdin stared at her in shock as he realized she was the princess. On instinct, he bowed to her. She put her fingers under his chin and raised his head so he was looking at her.

"You don't have to do that," she said.

Aladdin straightened up, but he couldn't help feeling a little awkward standing there with her.

"I should go," he said.

Jasmine nibbled on her lower lip. "Right."

"Good night, princess," Aladdin muttered.

"Good night."

Jasmine turned away and started walking towards the castle gates. As Aladdin watched her walk away, the words the guard had said hit him like a brick...

_"You were born a street rat; you'll die a street rat..."_


	9. Chapter 9

Esmeralda leaned against the wall as she waited for the rest of the Street Rats to return to the apartment. Sadira was the last to arrive and she plopped down on the floor by the window.

"Why are we having a meeting?" Sadira asked. "We should be out there-"

"Stop, Sadira," Esmeralda said. Her voice was quiet, but firm.

They all looked up at Esmeralda and she took a few moments to gather her words. They all saw her as a mother-type figure, but now she really needed them to see her as a boss.

"We're having this meeting because of you, Sadira," Esmeralda finally said. "Although, it's for all of you."

"What the hell did I do?" Sadira demanded.

"Do you _really _have to ask that?" Meg snapped.

"Enough! We can't afford to be fighting with each other," Esmeralda said. She then sighed. "However, she's right, Sadira. You've been getting caught a lot lately and it's putting us all at risk."

"Well, maybe if the two of you were doing a better job of distracting the guards, I wouldn't be getting caught," Sadira said.

"Actually, that's not true," Aladdin chimed in. "You're getting caught by the people you're stealing from. I'm out there pick-pocketing, too, but I never get caught."

"He's right," Flynn added. "The guards don't notice anything until someone in the crowd brings their attention to you."

Sadira stared at the boys. "What is this? Why is everyone ganging up on me?"

"Sadira, honey, no one's ganging up on you," Esmeralda said. "We all have to work together and look out for each other. When you get caught, that compromises all of us."

"Yeah, and then I end up in an alley with a disgusting guard on top me," Meg stated.

Esmeralda gave Meg a wary look. "Meg, please." She turned back to the rest of the group. "We _all _need to be more careful. If Vanessa could figure out we're all working together, anyone else could, too. Sadira and Aladdin, for a while I need you two to reduce the number of people you pick-pocket by half."

"_Half?_" Sadira cried. "Are you crazy? How are we supposed to make it on half our income?"

"Sadira's right," Aladdin said. "We're barely getting enough money as it is."

"It's just for a little bit," Esmeralda said. "Just until guards have forgotten about Sadira."

"Great job, Sadira!" Meg snapped. "Thanks to your idiocy, we all have to suffer!"

"Meg-"

"No, Esmeralda! Sadira is starting to become more trouble than she's worth," Meg said. "I think we'd all be better off without her."

"Meg, if we got rid of Sadira, that would only leave Aladdin to steal money and we'd _still _only have half the income," Flynn said.

"Make the kid go out and help him," Meg suggested, motioning at Jim. "He can make himself useful."

They all turned to look at Jim, who had been quiet this whole time.

Sadira glared at Meg. "You can't just _replace _me!"

Esmeralda held up her hand. "Technically, we _can _replace you Sadira. There are more people living on the streets than you realize. It would be quite easy for us to find someone to take your place. And we will if you don't get your act together. We will not be replacing you with Jim, though. Since Jim is not wanted or in hiding, Vanessa hired him as a busboy in the tavern. Jim will be bringing in a little extra money, so we'll be just fine if Aladdin and Sadira are only stealing half of what they normally do."

"You've got this all figured out, don't you, Esmeralda?" Flynn asked.

Esmeralda nodded. "Now, I want all of you to listen to me very carefully. If _any _of you get caught, from now on, you are not to return here at all that night; you will have to find somewhere else stay. If a guard follows you back here, not only are you putting the rest of us in danger, but also Vanessa and Gaston. There's a lot at stake here, and I'm done letting things slide. Do you understand?" Everyone nodded. "Good. That's all I had to say. You're free to leave."

Everyone started heading out of the apartment. When Sadira passed, Esmeralda, Esmeralda grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Sadira, it has been brought to my attention that you might be getting caught on purpose to screw over Meg," Esmeralda said.

"That's not true," Sadira replied.

Esmeralda tightened her grip on Sadira's arm. "It better not be because if I find out it _is_ true, I will turn you in to Hercules' guards myself. Maybe you'll end up some guard's whore in Hercules' dungeon and you'll understand exactly what Meg has to go through to protect you. I will not tolerate anyone betraying someone in my group."

Sadira pulled her arm free. "It's funny how you'll just believe anything anyone tells you."

Esmeralda crossed her arms over her chest. "Normally I wouldn't believe something like that. But, you getting caught as much as you have been is a little suspicious. There's also the fact that when you get caught, Meg is the one who has to take the bullet. No one else is directly affected by it, not even you. I mean, you _do _realize that Meg doesn't have to sleep with the guards, right? She does it to keep you from getting caught and being sent to Hercules. I'd really hate to find out she's sacrificing herself like that for someone who's betraying her."

"I can't believe you're turning on me like this," Sadira said.

"I'm not turning on you. I have to look out for all of you. If there's a threat towards my group and our friends, I have no choice but to remove it," Esmeralda stated. "Even if that threat is someone in our group. I brought you into this group because I trusted you. Don't make me regret it."

"I'm not a threat," Sadira said, flatly.

"I hope not, Sadira," Esmeralda replied. "For your sake, I really hope not."


	10. Chapter 10

After the meeting, Meg stormed out of the apartment. She skipped rungs as she made her way down the ladder, then jumped off it. She didn't know where she was heading, but it didn't matter; as long as she got away from Sadira. Meg wasn't an idiot; she knew Sadira couldn't be trusted. Why Esmeralda kept her around, Meg would never understand. She guessed Aladdin had something to do with it since they had thing going for a while. But even _he _had to know something wasn't right about Sadira.

"Meg, wait up!"

Meg rolled her eyes when she heard Jim call after her, but kept walking. When he caught up to her, she didn't acknowledge him. He cleared his throat, but she continued to ignore him. _Why won't he just take the hint? _She wondered.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm on your side with all this," Jim said. "It's pretty obvious Sadira is getting caught on purpose. I don't know why she keeps getting away with it."

Meg stopped abruptly and turned sharply towards Jim, causing him to stumble. "Look, kid. I don't know why you keep trying to comfort me or whatever, but let's get one thing straight: we are _not _friends. I don't need you taking my side or trying to help me in any way. I'm fine." She continued walking.

"No one's buying your 'tough bitch' act," Jim said.

Meg turned and walked back to where Jim was still standing. "What's your angle? Are you trying to get under my skin, hoping I'll break down and open up to you? It's not going to work. I don't care what any of you think about me; least of all you."

"Why?"

"Because none of you mean anything to me," Meg replied.

"Then why do you sleep with the guards to keep them getting caught?" Jim asked.

"Just because I don't care about them, doesn't mean I want them to end up in Hercules' dungeon," Meg said.

"What's the big deal about Hercules' dungeons anyway?" Jim asked.

Meg raised an eyebrow at him. "You're kidding, right?" Jim shook his head. "It's no secret Hercules thinks very little of poor people and even less of thieves. If a thief is caught, not only do they get their hand cut off, but they end up in the dungeon where the guards are free to torture them in any way they please. Women often get raped on top of it all. I heard a guard thought one of the male prisoners was checking him out, so he cut out his eyes. Another prisoner tried to escape, but the guards caught him and cut off his head. They mounted it where the rest of the prisoners could see it; as a warning."

"How can Hercules let them get away with that?" Jim asked.

Meg gave him an amused look. "He's the prince."

"It's not right."

"Of course it isn't, but we have no choice but to deal with it," Meg said.

"We could leave."

Meg laughed. "And go where; to the streets of some other kingdom? At least we have some sort of shelter here."

"But we live in fear here."

"News flash, kid: it's gonna be like that no matter where we go."

_:::::::::::::::::::::_

After the meeting, Flynn snuck over to Rapunzel's house. She was standing outside, sweeping the front stoop. Flynn approached carefully, in case her mother was home. When Rapunzel saw him, she gave him a small wave and motioned that it was safe for him to be there.

"Hi, Flynn!" she greeted. "I'm just about done with my chores; I didn't know you were going to be stopping by."

"I wanted to see you."

Rapunzel smiled. "My mother shouldn't be home for a while; come inside for a little bit."

Flynn followed Rapunzel inside and they sat down at the kitchen table. Flynn had been helping Rapunzel for the last couple days and the truth was he was starting to fall for her. She was unlike any girl he had ever met; she was so optimistic, out-going, friendly, honest and caring. Of course there was no way she had the same feelings for him. Why would a girl like that ever want a thief who had nothing to offer her?

"Thank you so much for helping me out," Rapunzel said. "My mother has been impressed with the way our house looks everyday."

"It's no problem," Flynn replied. "I'm happy to do it."

Rapunzel smiled at him and started to say something, but the sound of someone talking outside the house stopped her. Her eyes grew wide and she grabbed Flynn's arm. She quickly dragged him over to her bedroom and shoved him inside. It was then that the front door swung open.

"Rapunzel?"

"Coming, mother!" Rapunzel called out, walking away from Flynn.

Flynn peeked through the curtain that acted as Rapunzel's bedroom door. The woman Rapunzel was talking to looked much younger than Flynn expected. She had very pale skin and thick, curly, black hair. The red dress she was wearing was clearly more expensive than the dress Rapunzel had on.

Flynn looked around Rapunzel's room. She had a beautiful canopy bed on one end with a matching white vanity next to it. Flynn couldn't help noticing all of the expensive objects she had on display in her room; any one of them would provide the Street Rats with enough money to feed them for at least a week.

He crossed the room, to the small window, resisting the urge to steal from Rapunzel. He forced his eyes to the window and focused on getting out of the house. As he pulled himself up to the window, he saw a silver hand mirror with a jewel encrusted handle. Without thinking, he grabbed the mirror and stuck it in his bag. The window was almost too small for Flynn to fit through, but he managed to wiggle out and quickly made his way back to the apartment. Once inside, he sat down in the corner and stared at his bag.

_The Street Rats need this money more than she does, _Flynn told himself, trying to justify stealing from Rapunzel. Of course, it didn't make him feel any better about it. He set the bag down and rested his head back against the wall. After everything she had done for him, how does he thank her? He betrays her. He was lower than the vermin the group was named after. He deserved to be called a Rat.


	11. Chapter 11

Princess Jasmine sat in front of her vanity while her servant, Gothel, brushed her hair. Jasmine didn't think she needed a servant, especially to do such trivial tasks, but the King insisted that she use Gothel's services since Gothel had been the Queen's servant before she passed away. Gothel was older than Jasmine, but still looked young. Jasmine couldn't help wondering if looking young and beautiful forever was a gift or curse.

While she was contemplating this, Hercules barged into the room. He picked up a nearby candlestick and threw it against the wall. Jasmine rose to her feet and nodded at Gothel, dismissing her. Gothel snuck out of the room. Jasmine walked over to Hercules and put her hand on his before he could throw the small mirror in his hands.

"Breaking a mirror will give you seven years of bad luck," Jasmine said, carefully taking it from him.

"Look around, Jasmine! I'm already having bad luck!"

Jasmine set down the mirror, then led Hercules to their bed. She took his hands in hers and lightly kissed them.

"What happened?" she asked.

Hercules sighed and lowered his head. "My father's health is getting worse. He can no longer even get out of bed."

"Hercules, I'm so sorry." Jasmine tried to pull her husband closer to her, but he flinched away from her.

"There's more," Hercules said.

"What is it?"

"I just spoke with Nurse Sarah..."

Jasmine stared at him, waiting for him to continue. But, he just sat there for a moment. A few days ago Jasmine had gone to Nurse Sarah to have tests done to find out why she wasn't getting pregnant.

"She said that it's not possible for you to have children," Hercules finally said.

The look of disappointment in Hercules eyes caused the air to rush out of Jasmine's lungs and she suddenly had trouble breathing. She waited for Hercules to tell her he was going to take a mistress or for him to launch into another lecture about how important it was for him to have a son. But instead he reached out and brushed her hair off her face. He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"Hercules, I..." Jasmine didn't know what to say.

"It doesn't matter," Hercules said.

Jasmine nodded. "Because you're going to have a mistress who will bear a child for you."

"That's what my father wants me to do."

"I understand."

"I'm not going to, however."

"You're not?" Jasmine was more than surprised to hear this.

Hercules shook his head. "When my father told me that all I could think about was my mother and I started having doubts. Was she really my mother, or was I the product of his affair with a mistress? I wouldn't want my son to go through those same doubts."

"Hercules, I've seen paintings of the Queen and there is no doubt she is your mother."

Hercules gave her a small smile. "I know. But, I don't like the idea of my son not coming from my wife."

"Hercules, listen to me. You _need _an heir. You're not going to live forever and who will take over after you're gone?"

"Someone else of royal or noble blood. Perhaps from nearby village or kingdom."

Jasmine shook her head. "Do you really want to risk someone else coming into your home and ruling _your _kingdom?"

"I already told you how I feel."

Jasmine reached out and put her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and rested his head against her hand.

"Take a mistress. If she becomes pregnant, marry her."

Hercules pulled away in shock. "Jasmine, I don't want another wife. I love _you._"

"I love you, too. But you have to do what's best for your kingdom."

Hercules stood up. "I won't do it. I _will not _lay with another woman."

"Hercules-"

"No! I cannot do that to you. I'm not going to punish you because of something you have no control over. If I don't have an heir when I die and the kingdom has to go to someone else, then so be it!"

Hercules started to storm out the room, but Jasmine jumped up and blocked his path. She put her hands on his chest and stopped him.

"I'm sorry," Jasmine said. "I didn't mean anything by what I said. But it's so hard for me to see you like this. I was just trying to help."

"I've already lost my mother and soon my father. I can't lose you, too, Jasmine; you're all I've got."

Hercules wrapped his strong arms around Jasmine and pulled her close to him. Jasmine stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Hercules' cheek, which was now damp with tears.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him.

Hercules bent down and kissed Jasmine. It was the softest of kisses, but it made Jasmine's heart race nonetheless. Hercules picked her up and brought her back to the bed. He gently laid her down, then removed his clothes before carefully lowering himself on top of her. This time when Hercules entered her, Jasmine didn't tense up. She welcomed it and pulled him into another kiss. Neither of them broke the kiss except to say, "I love you". Hercules sat up, bringing Jasmine with him so they were now both upright. They wrapped their arms tightly around each other and held each other close, their lips still pressed against each others. But, as their passion became more intense, Jasmine broke the kiss and moaned his name. Hercules urgently forced his mouth back against hers and tightened his grip on her. Jasmine moaned again and as they both climaxed, she ran her nails down his back.

They lied down and Jasmine immediately cuddled up close to him. Hercules rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around her. As he started to fall asleep, she lightly kissed the tip of his nose and he smiled. In that moment Jasmine realized that she truly loved him.

But, when she fell asleep, another man starred in her dream. The young man who had saved her life…

Aladdin.


	12. Chapter 12

"There you are!"

Meg recognized the husky voice instantly as the guard's who she usually had to hook up with to save Sadira's ass. Meg stopped walking and turned around. Instead of the lustful look he usually had when he was around her, the guard looked angry.

"What do you want?" Since Meg was not 'on duty', she had no intention of being flirty or even nice to him.

"Did you think I wouldn't catch on to your little game?" the guard spat.

Meg had the urge to turn and run, but at the same time she didn't want to look guilty.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"It's so obvious; I'm an idiot for not seeing it before." The guard took a step towards Meg, but she held her ground. "You only willingly hook up with me when that girl is caught stealing. You're working as a distraction so she can steal, aren't you?"

Meg narrowed her eyes. "I assure you it would take a lot more than protection for some thief to get me to sleep with you."

The guard frowned. "You're lying. You're under arrest for aiding a thief!"

Now Meg did turn and run away. She maneuvered easily down the street; ducking among crowds of people, turning down alleys and weaving between houses. However, Meg was not used to running for a long period of time and soon her lungs began to burn. She pushed herself to keep going since she could hear the guard running behind her, but her legs were beginning to feel tired and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going. Unfortunately, she didn't find out because as she turned the corner the guard grabbed her arm. She fought to get away, but he grabbed her other arm and pinned her against the wall. She continued to struggle as the guard held her arms behind her back and placed the shackles around her wrists. As the guard pulled her away from the wall and led her down the street towards the palace, Meg wished she had Aladdin's lock-pick set. Aladdin had been arrested a couple times, but always picked the lock to the shackles while his hands were restrained behind his back and the guard wasn't looking. He got away every time. Meg didn't have anyway of saving herself. She looked up at the palace as they walked through the gates and her heart leapt in fear. This was it: she was going to lose her hand and become this guard's permanent sex slave.

They walked across the throne room towards the Prince and Princess. Meg had never seen either of them before, and was drawn to the Prince. Because of his mean nature, Meg had always pictured him to be ugly. But, she was now surprised to see that he was actually quite handsome. He had wavy redish-orange hair, bright blue eyes and a very muscular body. If Meg had never heard anything about him, she would have assumed he was kind. The guard bowed to the royal couple and forced Meg down to her knees. Meg lowered her head, but kept her eyes on them. The Princess looked sympathetically at Meg, then turned her head away.

"This woman was caught aiding a thief," the guard told them. "She's been using her body to distract me while her accomplice steals money from other people."

Meg glanced at the Prince as she awaited her sentence. Hercules was now staring at her thoughtfully. He didn't say anything for a moment while everyone watched him.

"Have you ever stolen anything yourself?" Hercules asked Meg.

"Of course she has-"

Hercules turned quickly towards the guard, cutting him off. "I asked her."

Meg winced at the sharpness in the Prince's voice. "No, your Highness, I have not."

"You're not going to believe her, are you?" the guard demanded.

Hercules held up his hand. "Have you seen her in the act of stealing?"

"Well, no."

"Very well then; she will not be punished as a thief." Hercules snapped his fingers and a handsome guard with short blonde hair and facial hair stepped forward. "Phoebus, take her to the dungeon and see to it that she remains untouched and unharmed."

"Yes, sir."

The guard who had arrested her started to protest, but Phoebus pulled Meg to her feet and started leading her out of the room. Phoebus' grip was far gentler than the other guard's and Meg found herself wishing that _he _had been the guard she had to sleep with all those times. She probably wouldn't have cared about Sadira getting caught then.

Phoebus led her down a long, dark stairway to a large wooden door. He unlocked it and the two of them stepped through the doorway. The dungeon area was huge, with many cells, but none of them were occupied at the moment. Phoebus opened the cell furthest from the door and gently forced Meg inside. He took off her shackles, then closed the cell door behind her and locked it. He walked back to the door and stood by it. Meg sat down on the cold stone floor and leaned against the wall.

_::::::::::::::::::::_

Meg wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in the cell when the door opened and Hercules entered. Meg watched as he said something to Phoebus and Phoebus left. Hercules walked down to Meg's cell and stopped outside it. Meg pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. He unlocked the cell and stepped inside. Meg's heart started racing and she pressed her back against he wall, trying to be as far from him as possible

"You don't have to be afraid," Hercules said, crouching down in front of her.

This did not relax Meg at all. His hero-like appearance couldn't hide the horrible man he really was.

Hercules reached out and lightly brushed a loose strand of hair off her face. "What is your name?"

Meg flinched at his touch. "Meg."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Meg."

Much to her surprise, he didn't. He brushed his fingers over her cheek and softly kissed her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and carefully laid her down on her back. Despite his gentleness, Meg found her eyes welling up with tears as he undid his pants slowly slid her skirt up around her thighs. He started lower himself on top of her, but stopped. He put his hand on her cheek and she looked into his eyes.

"I won't do this without your permission," Hercules said.

This completely took Meg by surprise. She wanted to tell him no, but then she remembered that he had spared her from not only getting her hand cut off, but also from the guard who most certainly would have raped her.

Meg took a deep breath and nodded.

Hercules kissed her again as he carefully entered her. Meg gasped, but not in pain. Hercules was more tender than any other man she ever been with and she actually found herself enjoying the way he moved inside her. She sighed and gripped his bicep. Hercules never became rough with her and continued to be gentle with her as if he really was concerned about hurting her.

Afterwards Hercules brought himself to his knees and closed his pants. Meg slowly sat up and smoothed down her skirt. Hercules stared at her for a moment, then leaned back against the wall and lowered his head into his hand. He was clearly upset about something and Meg didn't know what to do. She looked around for a minute, then looked back at him.

"Is something wrong?" Meg asked.

Hercules glanced up at her. "I shouldn't have done that; I'm married."

"Then why did you?" Meg hadn't meant to sound accusatory, but she didn't know what else to say.

Hercules sighed and leaned his head back. "I guess I just gave into the pressure everyone has been putting on me."

"Pressure for what?"

"To produce an heir. My father told me I need to take in a mistress."

Meg thought about asking why Princess Jasmine couldn't give him a son, but decided that was a personal issue that he most likely didn't want to share with a stranger.

Hercules stood up and opened the cell door.

"I'm sorry I brought you into this." He closed the door and locked it.

Meg walked over to the cell door and gripped the bars. "Your Highness?" she called out.

Hercules turned around. "Yes?"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for."


	13. Chapter 13

Sadira had just stolen some coins from a woman who was arguing with a fruit vendor when she saw Meg being dragged through the palace gates by a guard. Sadira swore under her breath and started running back to the hideout. The streets were crowded and it took Sadira longer to get back than usual. When she finally reached the hideout, she hurried up the ladder and stumbled inside. Esmeralda and Aladdin were the only ones there and they both looked up at her.

"Where have you been?" Esmeralda demanded.

"I just went for a walk." The coins she had just stolen suddenly felt like they were literally burning through her pocket.

Esmeralda frowned. "Sadira, I told you-"

"Listen to me!" Sadira interrupted. "I just saw Meg being led into the palace by a guard."

"What did you do to get her caught?" Esmeralda asked. Her voice was mixed with anger and panic.

"I wasn't even with her," Sadira insisted. "I saw her just as she went through the gates."

"We have to try and get her out," Esmeralda said.

Aladdin glanced out the window, then turned towards Esmeralda. "I'll go. I know I can get her out."

Esmeralda nodded. "Of all of us, you're probably the only one who can pick the lock and free her."

"I'll go tonight, after it gets dark."

"I'll go with you," Sadira offered.

"No!" Aladdin replied quickly. "I should go alone so we don't attract attention to ourselves."

Sadira raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything. There was something suspicious about the way Aladdin was acting and Sadira knew he was keeping something from them.

_::::::::::::::::::::_

Aladdin waited until everyone was asleep before slipping out of the hideout and making his way to the palace. He went into the small wooded area to the side of the palace and found Jasmine waiting for him right where she said she'd be.

Jasmine had given Naveen a message earlier that evening to find Aladdin and tell him to meet her here. Aladdin had no idea why, but he was happy to oblige since he had been wanting to see her again since the night he met her. And, as fate would have it, the timing couldn't be better since now Aladdin needed a favor from her.

Aladdin walked over to Jasmine and she gave him a small, weak smile. He took her hand and gave her a slight bow.

"I don't want to be blunt and rude, but I need a huge favor from you," Aladdin said.

Jasmine frowned. "What is it?"

Aladdin could tell she was hesitant and possibly putting up her guard. "A friend of mine was arrested today; please let her go. She's never done anything illegal."

Jasmine tilted her head to the side. "Meg?"

"Yes."

"I can't do that. I'm sorry, Aladdin."

"Why not?"

Jasmine looked around, then lowered her voice. "That's actually kind of why I wanted to see you. Hercules has taken a liking to Meg and will probably make her his mistress. He made love to her earlier this afternoon. Since Hercules was unfaithful to me, I have no guilt in telling you that I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

All Aladdin could do was stare at her. Those four sentences were almost too much to take in. He wanted to jump right into talking about why she couldn't stop thinking about him, but he had a responsibility to his friend and he had to find out what was going on with her.

"Did he..." Aladdin paused. This question was harder to ask than he thought. "Did he rape Meg?"

"No! Of course not. Hercules would never do something like that. He said she consented."

That didn't really sound like Meg, but at the same time Aladdin knew it was possible she would do it if it was to help somebody or if she felt like she owed something to him.

"Aladdin, listen to me; I can't stay long. But, I want to see more of you. Will you meet me here tomorrow night?"

"Why?" Aladdin asked. He found it hard to believe that a princess would want to be around a peasant.

"You're different. You helped me that night instead of attacking me like that other man. And when you found out who I was, you didn't try taking advantage of me." Jasmine tucked a strand of hair under her hood. "I think I like you."

"You don't even know me." Aladdin wanted nothing more than to tell Jasmine that he liked her, too. But, good things didn't happen to him without some sort of catch.

In this case the catch was if he got caught, the Prince would have him beheaded.

"I want to get to know you, Aladdin. Please meet me here tomorrow night."

"I don't know, Princess..."

Jasmine took his hands in hers. "I've met a lot of men, but none of them made me feel like this. I think about you all the time. My stomach fills with butterflies when I see you and my heart races when you touch me."

Aladdin couldn't fight it anymore. He sighed in defeat. "I think I like you, too."

Jasmine's face lit up and she smiled at him.

"It's just that good things don't happen to me. I have bad luck."

"Maybe I can counter it."

Aladdin smiled at her. "I hope so."

"So, you'll meet me here tomorrow night?"

Aladdin noticed that loose strand of hair had fallen in her face again and he brushed it back. "I'll meet you anywhere, anytime."

Aladdin didn't know what came over him (possibly the fact that he knew something bad was going to come and end what little he had with Jasmine), but he lowered his head to hers and kissed her. Jasmine let out a soft sigh and kissed him back.

Jasmine slowly broke the kiss, but stayed close to him. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."

"So am I."

Jasmine kissed his cheek, then started walking towards the palace. "Good night, Aladdin."

"Sleep well, Princess."


	14. Chapter 14

Aladdin couldn't get Meg back and Jim was starting to get worried. What was happening to Meg in that dungeon? Did Hercules have her hand cut off? Jim's mind was going crazy with horrible scenarios of Meg at the mercy of those guards and he hadn't been able to sleep at all in the last week. He didn't know why he felt so protective of her. Perhaps it was because no one ever protected her. Meg was always taking the bullet for them and protecting them, but no one was looking out for her. Jim had tried, but she just pushed him away. Now she was locked up and there was nothing he could do.

"We'll get Meg back."

Jim looked up. He had been alone at the hideout all day, but now Esmeralda joined him.

"We're all a family," Esmeralda continued as she sat down under the window, next to Jim. "We won't leave her in there."

"How did you know I was-"

Esmeralda smiled at him. "I've seen the way you look at Meg; you care about her. She may not be able to see that, but I do. And I can tell you're sitting there worrying about her."

"Aren't you worried?"

"Of course. God only knows what's happening to her in there. But, we'll figure out a way to get her out."

"How?"

"Aladdin is the best lock-pick there is. He may have failed once, but he'll try again."

"When? That was a week ago!" Jim couldn't help getting upset.

Esmeralda put her hand on his. "Relax, Jim."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing. She needs us."

"Jim, _I _need you not to act rashly. We will work out a plan and get her out. Okay?"

Jim nodded. He wasn't happy, but he knew better than to just act on impulse; it could potentially ruin everything. So, all he could do was wait until a plan was made and then he could help rescue Meg.

_::::::::::::::::::::_

Sadira woke up to see Aladdin sneaking out of the hideout. Everyone else was asleep and didn't notice this. Aladdin had been sneaking out every night for the last week and it was time that Sadira found out what was going on.

She stayed several feet behind him so he didn't see her, but she never took her eyes off him. They wandered for a while before ending up in the wooden area beside the palace. There was a young woman standing by a large tree and Aladdin walked over to her. Sadira swiftly ducked behind a tree near them and peered around it to get a better look at them. She vaguely recognized the woman, but couldn't place why. She was beautiful, though, and Sadira felt jealousy swell up inside her.

"It's good to see you," the woman said to Aladdin.

Aladdin smiled at her. "I just saw you last night."

She lowered her eyes. "I know. But I missed you. Is that weird?"

Aladdin took her hands and kissed them. "Not at all. I missed you, too."

Sadira felt her face get hot and she wanted to run over there and pull the tramp away from _her _man. How could Aladdin do this to her? Didn't he know he was supposed to be with her, not some other woman? And who the hell was she, anyway?

Sadira immediately forgot her question when she saw Aladdin pick her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he kissed her. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before they pulled away. Aladdin continued to hold her, though, and she looked down at him and smiled.

"I can't believe how lucky I am to have you," Aladdin told her.

She kissed his nose. "I'm the lucky one."

"Oh, Jasmine," Aladdin whispered as he kissed her again.

_Jasmine? _It took a moment for Sadira to realize that was the princess. A lump formed in her throat and she suddenly couldn't breathe. Aladdin was seeing the princess? How did that happen? How long ago did this start? And more importantly: why wasn't he using his connection to get Meg out?

Sadira couldn't help feeling like Aladdin was betraying the Street Rats. Especially Meg. How could he just go on kissing the princess like that when his friend needed him?

Sadira had to do something.

When Aladdin and Jasmine finally went their separate ways, Sadira quietly followed Jasmine. Since Jasmine had also snuck out, she took a tunnel that led through the castle and wasn't guarded. It was difficult for Sadira to keep up with Jasmine, but she managed to follow her all the way up to her bed chamber without being seen.

A light came on when Jasmine entered the room.

"Jasmine?"

Jasmine started closing the door, but stopped when she realized she had been caught. She left the door ajar and walked away. Sadira peeked through the small opening. Hercules was lying in bed and he was watching Jasmine.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Jasmine said.

"Where were you?"

"I went for a walk."

"Alone? Jasmine, you know how I feel about that."

_Sadira, what are you doing? _Sadira scolded herself. She really didn't have a plan when she followed Jasmine. But, fortunately, an opportunity presented itself.

Jasmine took off her earrings and necklace and set them down on her vanity.

"Why do you wear those?" Hercules asked her. "You have so many pieces of beautiful jewelry and yet you insist on wearing those old and ugly pieces."

"They were my mother's," Jasmine replied. "They're important to me."

Jasmine got into bed and Hercules shut out the light. Sadira sat out in the hallway for about an hour until she was sure they were both asleep. She then quietly slipped into the room and crept over to the vanity. She grabbed the princess's earrings and necklace and then hurried out. Thankfully, Sadira had a good memory and was able to get back through the tunnels without getting lost.

Sadira ran all the way back through the market place and didn't stop until she was back at the hideout.

All she had to do now was figure out a way to frame Aladdin for the theft.


	15. Chapter 15

"Where are they?" Jasmine muttered to herself as she searched her vanity for her mother's jewelry.

_This can't be happening. I know I left them right here on the vanity, _Jasmine thought. She sank down on the seat in front of the vanity and put her head in her hands.

"What is it, Jasmine?" Hercules asked, coming up behind her.

"Somebody has taken my mother's jewelry," Jasmine told him.

"Are you sure?"

Jasmine nodded, then looked up at him. She knew there were tears in her eyes, but she didn't bother to hide them. "Who would do that? They don't have any money value."

Hercules put his hands on Jasmine's shoulders. "It'll be all right."

"Hercules, I put them right here on the vanity before I went to bed last night. Whoever did it was in our room while we were sleeping."

Hercules frowned as if this hadn't occurred to him before. "We'll find who did it." He wiped a tear off her cheek. "I'll put a bounty out on the thief and have them brought here to face punishment in our dungeons."

"What if it was one of our servants?"

"They will be sentenced to death for their betrayal."

Jasmine nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't like the idea of someone being put to death over this, but the jewelry was all she had left of her mother and whoever took them had to know of their sentimental value since they obviously weren't worth any money.

Hercules kissed Jasmine's forehead. "I'll take care of it now."

"Thank you."

Jasmine watched Hercules walk out of the room, then she turned back to her vanity. She had a lot of jewelry in beautiful boxes arranged neatly on the small table. None of that had been touched. Why would someone to this to her?

"Good morning, Princess."

Jasmine looked up to see Gothel standing in the doorway. "Oh. Good morning, Gothel. Please come in."

As Gothel began working on straightening up the bedroom, Jasmine put on a couple pieces of jewelry. Jasmine was so used to wearing her mother's jewelry that these pieces looked strange on her.

"Why aren't you wearing your mother's jewelry today?" Gothel asked when she noticed Jasmine staring at her reflection.

Jasmine turned to face her. "Someone has stolen them."

Jasmine studied Gothel's face as she reacted to this. She knew Gothel could be a likely suspect since she always had access to their room. But, Gothel's expression was one of genuine confusion.

"Why would someone do that? They aren't worth anything."

"I don't know," Jasmine replied.

Maybe Jasmine had been wrong about her people all this time. Maybe they really weren't as good as she thought. She always wanted to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but what if Hercules was right and they were all dishonest? Jasmine was starting to regret freeing all those thieves Hercules had arrested in the past. One thing was for sure: when they caught this thief, she wouldn't let them go free.

_:::::::::::::::::::::_

Flynn stood outside Rapunzel's house and hesitated before knocking on the door. It didn't take long for Rapunzel to answer the door and when she saw Flynn she smiled.

"Hi, Flynn! I wasn't expecting to see you today."

Rapunzel's green eyes were wide with excitement. It made Flynn feel good that someone was actually happy to see him. At the same time, though, it made him feel guilty. It made the reason for his visit even harder to follow through on.

Rapunzel took Flynn's hand and pulled him into the house. "It's good to see you," she said.

"You, too."

"What brings you here?"

"There's something I have to tell you."

Rapunzel caught the seriousness in his town and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Kind of."

"Well, what is it?"

Rapunzel's face was so concerned and trusting; it made Flynn feel even worse. He reached into his satchel and slowly pulled out Rapunzel's mirror.

"I stole this from you," Flynn confessed, holding it out to her.

Rapunzel glanced down at the mirror as she took it, then looked back up at Flynn. "I don't understand."

"I'm a thief, Rapunzel. I steal money and food to survive. That mirror alone could have fed me and my friends for several days," Flynn explained. "I knew I shouldn't have taken it, but it's just in my nature. I steal on instinct."

Rapunzel had watched Flynn carefully with a blank expression as he spoke. When he finished, her eyes softened and she held the mirror out to him. "It sounds like you need this more than I do."

Now it was Flynn's turn to be confused. "You're not mad?"

"I'm a little disappointed. But, I guess I understand," Rapunzel told him. "Take the mirror and use it to get food for you and your friends."

"Are you sure?"

"Just take the mirror, Flynn." Rapunzel grabbed his hand and placed the mirror in it. "You saw my room; I'm not struggling to get by. But you are and if I can help, then I want to."

Flynn didn't take his eyes off Rapunzel as he slipped the mirror back in his satchel. "Why?"

Rapunzel blushed. "I care about you, Flynn."

"You don't think less of me?"

"I already knew you were a thief. But, that doesn't matter to me; you're a good person."

Flynn had long ago stopped fighting the feelings that he was developing for Rapunzel, but he still couldn't tell how she felt about him. Rapunzel was smiling at him now and she looked so sweet. Flynn reached out and put his hand on her cheek. Rapunzel blushed again and lowered her head. Flynn ran his hand down her face and slipped his fingers under her chin. He turned her head back up so she was looking at him. Her expression was serious now and almost expectant; as if she knew what he wanted to do and she was waiting for him to do it. Flynn leaned forward and brought his lips down to hers. Rapunzel softly returned his kiss, but didn't move. Flynn broke the kiss after only a few brief moments. He let go of her chin and took a step back.

"That was unexpected," Rapunzel said, quietly.

"I've wanted to do that for a while."

"I'm glad you finally did."


	16. Chapter 16

The market place was growing less crowded as the sun set. By the time it got dark, the vendors were busy packing up their carts. A few stragglers were still hanging around, but not many. Sadira was leaning against a wall, watching Aladdin as he talked to one of the street performers, Naveen. Flynn had decided not to go out with everyone that night for their usual heist, so Aladdin had his satchel. This was perfect for Sadira. She had the Princess' jewelry hidden in her sleeve and she was itching to plant them on Aladdin before she got caught with them. Hercules had released wanted posters for the thief of the jewelry and Sadira knew the punishment for this theft would be worse than a normal theft. Sadira didn't feel bad about setting Aladdin up, though. She thought he deserved it for two-timing her with the Princess.

Sadira took a deep, shaky breath, then walked over to Aladdin and Naveen.

"Hi, boys," she greeted.

"Hello, Sadira," Naveen greeted. "How have you been?"

Sadira shrugged. "Can't complain. How are things with you and Tiana?"

As Naveen launched into stories about Tiana and her pregnancy, Sadira used the distraction to slip the jewelry into the satchel Aladdin was carrying.

"...She's due in just a couple months," Naveen was saying. "I hope it's a boy."

"You'll make a great father," Aladdin told him.

"Thanks. Well, I should get home. I'll see you guys around." Naveen gave them a quick wave, then hurried home.

"It's always nice to see him," Sadira said, as if it were an after thought.

"Yeah," Aladdin agreed.

"Well, anyway, I think I'm gonna go for a walk before heading back to the hideout," Sadira said. "I'll see you back there."

"Be careful, Sadira."

"Of course."

Sadira looked around for the closest guard and found one several yards away. She kept glancing at Aladdin as she walked up to the guard, to make sure he was still nearby.

"Oh, I'm so glad I found you!" Sadira told the guard. "I saw that man over there with the Princess' jewelry." She pointed at Aladdin who had his back to them.

The man glared at Aladdin and made a beeline towards him. Sadira quickly hid out of sight and watched as the guard seized Aladdin. Aladdin tried to get away, but another guard joined them. The first guard grabbed Aladdin's satchel and searched it. He pulled the necklace and earrings out and held them up. Aladdin stared at them in horror. The guard dropped the satchel on the ground, then shackled Aladdin and they dragged him away. After they were gone, Sadira spotted Esmeralda step out of an alley. Esmeralda saw Flynn's satchel on the ground and she picked it up.

Sadira came out of hiding and walked over to Esmeralda. Esmeralda was now looking around, confused.

"Hey, Esmeralda; that was a great dance earlier," Sadira told her.

"Sadira, isn't this Flynn's satchel? I thought Aladdin had this today."

"He did."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

_:::::::::::::::::::::_

Jasmine was standing on the balcony when Hercules slipped up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.

"They caught the thief who stole your jewelry," Hercules told her. "They'll be bringing him to our throne room. Come with me so you can see him and decide his punishment."

Jasmine took Hercules' hand and let him lead her down to the throne room. Her heart was beating hard with anticipation. It hadn't taken long to find him, and Jasmine was glad. She couldn't wait to get her mother's jewelry back.

Hercules kept Jasmine's hand in his as they sat down in their thrones. A guard stood on either side of them, standing at attention.

"Send them in," Hercules told the guard next to him.

The guard nodded and walked out of the room. When he returned a few minutes later, two guards were walking behind him, dragging the thief between them. As Jasmine braced herself to see the man, she couldn't help wondering if it was one of the thieves she had released in the past. If it was, she would make sure they lost their hand this time. It would serve them right for taking advantage of her kindness.

The two guards stopped in front Hercules and Jasmine and forced the thief forward. As soon as she saw Aladdin's face, Jasmine could no longer breathe. Her heart raced and pounded against her ribcage so hard she thought it would explode.

_How could he do this to me? _Jasmine wondered. _No. This can't be right._

"We found this street rat in the market place," one of the guards said. "He was carrying these." He walked over to Jasmine and placed the jewelry in her hands.

Jasmine looked down, hoping they had been mistaken, but it was her jewelry. There was no mistake; Aladdin stole them from her. She looked back at Aladdin who was staring pleadingly at her. Jasmine's heart shattered into tiny, angry, hurt pieces.

"The Princess will now decided the boy's punishment," Hercules told them.

Jasmine couldn't look away from Aladdin. She didn't know what to do. She felt so betrayed and hurt, but at the same time she didn't want anything to happen to him without hearing his side of the story. Although, how could he possibly justify doing this?

"What you did is unforgivable," Jasmine told him. "I have not yet decided your punishment. For now you will be brought down to the dungeon to await your sentence." She turned towards the guards. "Until then he is not to be touched. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Very well. Take him away."

Jasmine had to lower her eyes as the guards dragged Aladdin away. Hercules let go of her hand and stood up.

"You were awfully easy on him," Hercules pointed out.

"He'll be punished," Jasmine assured him.

"I will leave him in your hands, then." Hercules gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then walked out of the room.

"Leave me," Jasmine ordered the guard standing next to her.

He gave her a small bow, then walked out of the room. As soon as Jasmine was alone, she started crying. She had honestly thought Aladdin was her true love, but now it seemed he was no better than any other man out there.

Jasmine let out a frustrated cry and threw her jewelry on the ground. She stared at it for a few moments, before sliding to her knees next to it. She picked it up and the pieces of jewelry suddenly felt heavy to her. She had to talk to Aladdin. Tonight she would go see him and get her answers; then decided how to punish him.


	17. Chapter 17

Meg couldn't get used to how uncomfortable the dungeon cell was. The only comfort she felt now was in Hercules' nightly visits. He had been coming to see her every night for the last week and Meg had to admit she looked forward to seeing him. It surprised her to learn she had been wrong about Hercules this whole time. He wasn't the horrible person everyone thought he was. He was actually kind and gentle.

When Hercules wasn't there, though, she spent the day lying on the dirt covered stone floor trying to ignore the lustful glances and cat calls from the guards. When the door to the dungeon slammed open, Meg sat up and peeked out from between the bars. No one ever came down there except the guard on duty and Hercules. Her heart raced in anticipation, hoping Hercules was coming to see her again. She was disappointed when instead two guards stormed inside. The disappointment was quickly replaced by horror when she saw the guards were dragging Aladdin behind them. One of the guards unlocked the cell next to Meg's and they threw Aladdin inside. Meg waited until the guards left before hurrying to the other side of her cell, towards Aladdin.

"Aladdin?"

Aladdin was kneeling with his head down, but now looked up at Meg. "Meg, is that you?"

"Yes."

Aladdin reached through the bars and grabbed her hands. "I'm so sorry. I tried to get you out, but-"

"It's okay."

"Did they hurt you?"

Meg shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Good."

The dungeon door opened again and this time a young woman stepped inside. She said something to the guard on duty and left, closing the door behind him. The woman, who Meg assumed was the princess, turned on her heel and made a beeline towards Aladdin's cell. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Aladdin.

"Why?" she demanded him.

"Jasmine, I didn't do it."

"They found the jewelry on you, Aladdin."

"Someone planted them on me."

Meg glanced back and forth between Aladdin and Jasmine. Thieves came in and out of the dungeon all the time, but not once had the princess come down and personally addressed one of them. What was going on?

"Jasmine, you have to believe me," Aladdin pleaded.

Jasmine stepped closer to the cell and put her hands on the bars. "I want to, Aladdin; but I can't ignore the evidence against you."

Aladdin reached through the bars and cupped Jasmine's face in his hand. "Jasmine, you know I didn't do this."

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just let you go; Hercules is convinced you did it," Jasmine said. "So, unless the real thief comes forward, you have to stay here."

Aladdin nodded and stepped away from her. Jasmine's expression softened and she almost looked sad.

"You know I love you, Jasmine."

"I love you, too, Aladdin."

Meg's eyes widened in disbelief. _Holy crap! _How long had this been going on?

Jasmine lowered her head and hurried away. Once she was gone, Meg turned back to Aladdin.

"You and the princess? How the hell did _that_ happen?" Meg asked him.

"I saved her from getting attack by some thug," Aladdin replied.

"So, the princess is in love with you, and you couldn't use that to your advantage to get me out of here?"

"I tried. But, she said the prince has taken you as his mistress and won't let you go."

"You know about that?"

Aladdin nodded. "No one else does, though."

"It's funny; the only two prisoners in here are the secret lovers of the prince and princess."

"Do you love him? Hercules, I mean."

Meg bit her lip. "I don't know. Maybe?"

Aladdin chuckled as he sat down on the floor. "I know of one boy who won't be happy to hear that."

Meg knelt down so she was level with Aladdin. "Who?"

"Jim."

"Jim?" Meg repeated, as if she didn't believe him.

Aladdin nodded. "He's been trying so hard to find a way to get you out of here. It's pretty obvious he likes you."

"We're just friends."

"Meg, I know you don't notice the looks he gives you, but the rest of us do."

Meg shook her head. "He's just a kid."

"That may be, but he's gonna get you out of here."

Meg ran her hand through her hair. "What if I don't want to leave?"

"Hercules won't want you forever, Meg. Eventually he'll move on."

Meg knew that, but that didn't stop her from wanting the time she had with him to last.

_:::::::::::::::::::::_

"Where were you today?" Esmeralda demanded as soon as Flynn stepped into the hideout.

"I told you; I got a side job," Flynn replied.

Esmeralda nodded. "Right. With that Rapunzel girl?"

"Yeah."

Esmeralda stood up and held his satchel out in front of her. "I'm going to cut right to the point, Flynn; did you set Aladdin up?"

Flynn narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"The princess' stolen jewelry was found in your satchel and Aladdin was arrested for stealing it. We all know Aladdin wouldn't do something like that." Esmeralda threw the satchel on the floor at Flynn's feet.

Flynn stared at it as if he expected a snake or something to crawl out of it. "I didn't steal the jewelry and I definitely didn't set Aladdin up."

"How else would the jewelry have gotten into _your _satchel?" Esmeralda asked him.

"I don't know," Flynn said. "But, Aladdin is my best friend and I wouldn't do that to him."

Esmeralda sighed. She knew Flynn was telling the truth. "I'm sorry, Flynn."

She walked past him and left the hideout. It was already dark outside and starting to get chilly. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. In the last week two of her friends had been arrested and she was starting to lose hope of getting them out. Aladdin was arrested for a crime against the princess herself, so it would be really difficult to get him out. It was still possible to rescue Meg, though. But Esmeralda didn't know how.

"Excuse me?"

Esmeralda turned around, startled. A guard was standing behind her. Judging by his gold-colored armor, he must have been the Captain of the Guard. She tried to keep calm and acted confident.

"Can I help you?" she asked him.

"You're Esmeralda, right?"

Esmeralda eyed the sword sheathed around his waist. "Yes..."

The guard glanced down and then put his hand over his sword. "I'm not here to arrest you."

"I haven't done anything wrong," Esmeralda stated.

"I saw you dancing earlier today," the guard said. "You're very talented."

Esmeralda shrugged. "I do what I have to in order to survive."

"Doesn't your husband help out?"

Esmeralda raised an eyebrow at him as she caught on to what he was getting at. "I'm not married."

A small smile escaped from his lips, but he recomposed himself. He held out his hand and dropped two coins into Esmeralda's hand. "This is for your dancing earlier."

Esmeralda glanced down at the coins. "Thank you, um..."

"Phoebus; my name is Phoebus," he said. "It means Sun God."

Esmeralda smiled at the handsome guard. "It suits you."

Phoebus smiled back at her. _This is too perfect_, Esmeralda thought. _If I can get this guard to fall for me, then maybe I can use him to get Meg free..._


	18. Chapter 18

**One month later...**

Esmeralda was stressing out and she was pretty sure she had seen a couple gray hairs sprouting from her thick black hair. Meg and Aladdin had now been in the Prince's dungeon for a month. God only knows what was happening to them and Esmeralda had never felt more useless and alone.

Since Aladdin was arrested, Sadira hadn't been around at all. Esmeralda wasn't surprised, though, since Sadira was in love with Aladdin and had only been with Street Rats because of him. Flynn was spending more time with Rapunzel and Jim had taken extra shifts at the tavern to distract himself from worrying about Meg.

Of course, Esmeralda had Phoebus. She had spent almost every night with him since they first met. When Flynn and Jim asked her about him, she just told him that she was just planning to use him to get Meg and Aladdin free. But the truth was she had fallen for him and fallen hard. He was a true gentleman who sincerely cared about her and wasn't just physically attracted to her.

Esmeralda was beginning to feel a little guilty for asking him such a huge favor, but her friends had been locked up long enough and it was time to get them out.

The wind blew loudly as Esmeralda waited in the alley for Phoebus and she pulled her cloak tighter around her body. It didn't do much good, though, since it was worn and had several holes in it. However, Esmeralda only had to wait for Phoebus a few minutes before he showed up. He was still in his gold uniform and his blue cape flowed behind him as he hurried towards her. He immediately pulled Esmeralda into his arms and she shivered slightly as the cold from his armor seeped through her clothes.

"You're freezing," Phoebus pointed out. He removed his cape and wrapped it around her.

The cape was a lot warmer than her thin cloak and she thanked him for it. "Phoebus, there's something I have to ask you."

"I have to ask you something as well."

"You go first."

Phoebus smiled at her and took her hands in his. "I love you. And you know I want a better life for you than the one you're living now. I have more than enough money to take care of us both. Esmeralda, will you run away with me and marry me?"

Esmeralda's heart seemed to race and stop beating at the same time. Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't speak. This was the last thing she ever expected. She had to admit that she was so happy to hear him ask her that, but she also knew she couldn't accept his offer. Even though she felt useless, she knew the Street Rats still needed her.

"Oh, Phoebus," she said, finally. "I love you, too. But I can't leave."

Phoebus' face fell. "Why not?"

"My friends need me."

"Essie, your friends can take care of themselves."

Esmeralda bit her lip. "Two of my friends are locked in Prince Hercules' dungeon." She paused. "I suppose I should have asked you what I need to before you asked me to run away with you."

"I don't understand. What are you getting at?"

"Phoebus, I really need your help. Can you get my friends out of the dungeon?"

Phoebus took a step back, but didn't let got of her hands. He didn't speak for a while, but when he finally did his voice was quiet. "Is this the only reason you've been spending time with me?"

"No!" Esmeralda answered quickly. "No. Phoebus, I really do love you. But, Aladdin and Meg are my family and I have to help them."

Phoebus thought for a moment. "If I help you, then will you marry me?"

"Yes, but listen to me; you helping me is not a condition. I will marry you no matter what. But, I can't leave Maldonia until I know my friends are safe."

Phoebus reached out and touched Esmeralda's face. "What's important to you is important to me. So, I'll try to get your friends out."

Esmeralda flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Thank you so much!"

_:::::::::::::::::::::_

Jim sat under the window and stared out at the sky like Meg used to every night. He still didn't know her story, but now he guessed he never would.

Jim was sore and tired from working, but he couldn't sleep. He had barely slept since Meg had been arrested and he was starting to lose hope. There was nothing he and the other Street Rats could do to help her now. She may not even be alive anymore and they wouldn't even know it. This made Jim's stomach sick; thinking about Meg's frail body lying cold in the ground somewhere, no one knowing she's there except the guard who killed her. Of course he probably raped her first and only killed her after he was done with her.

Jim tried to push these thoughts away, but they wouldn't leave. All he could see was Meg's purple eyes permanently closed and her pale skin covered in dirt. A couple tears escaped from his eyes and he let them fall. He didn't know why he cared so much about Meg; perhaps it was because no one else made her a priority.

Esmeralda had told them that she was going to get her new boyfriend to help Meg and Aladdin, but Jim didn't see that happening. Why would the captain of the royal guards risk his job and his life to help them? There was no way their lives were worth more to him than his own.

No. It was obvious it was on Jim to help Meg now. He was the only one who still cared.

"Jim, are you all right?"

Jim opened his eyes to see Esmeralda kneeling in front of him. She reached out and ran her hand through his hair. "You're worrying about Meg still, aren't you?"

Esmeralda's voice was light and for some reason it bothered Jim. Why wasn't she upset? "Yes."

"Don't. Phoebus has agreed to help her and Aladdin."

A glimmer of hope filled Jim's heart, but he cursed himself and sent it away. "He won't follow through on it. Once you give him whatever you promised him in return, you won't hear from him again."

Esmeralda drew her hand back and hesitated before responding. "He asked me to marry him."

Jim couldn't help feeling angry. "You're leaving us?"

Esmeralda shook her head. "Not until Meg and Aladdin are free."

"And then we're all on our own again?"

Esmeralda gave Jim a small smile. "Jim, you'll be fine. You have a job and a place to stay. You have nothing to worry about."


	19. Chapter 19

Sadira was cold. Since Aladdin had been arrested, Sadira hadn't been able to return to the hideout and was now living on the street. Of course none of the Street Rats knew what she did, but she was feeling so guilty that she couldn't face any of them. So she was left shivering in a dark alley with nowhere to go and no one looking for her. She deserved this; she knew she deserved much worse after what she did to Aladdin. How could she betray the man she loved like that? _The same way he betrayed me by sleeping with the princess. _The memory of Aladdin kissing Jasmine brought back another wave of jealous anger and Sadira clenched her fists. _He deserves to rot in jail. _

"Sadira?"

Sadira looked up to see Naveen's wife, Tiana, standing over her. She was wearing a long coat and her left hand was on her stomach. She was still few months away from having the baby, but it was now very obvious that she was pregnant.

"Hello, Tiana."

"What are you doing out here?"

Sadira wrapped her arms around herself. "Since Aladdin was arrested, I don't really have anywhere to go."

Tiana gave her a sympathetic smile. "Why don't you come stay with Naveen and me for the night? We don't have a lot of space, but it's better than sleeping outside."

Sadira was completely shocked to hear Tiana's offer. She had only met Tiana a couple times when she worked at Gaston's tavern, but they had never really talked to each other.

"I don't want to put you out," Sadira finally said.

"Don't be silly; we're happy to help."

Sadira's first instinct was to turn down the offer, but she really didn't want to sleep outside again.

"Thank you," she said, standing up.

Tiana and Naveen's house wasn't far from where they had been and it didn't take long to get there. Tiana unlocked the door and led Sadira inside. Naveen was sitting at the table, but immediately jumped up when he saw Tiana and helped her into the chair in the living room. He then sat down on the arm of the chair.

"I can't sit down by myself," Tiana told him. "I'm pregnant, not paralyzed." Naveen nodded, but he was obviously distracted by something else and wasn't listening to her. "Naveen, honey, what is it? Are you thinking about Aladdin again?"

"Aladdin?" Sadira asked.

Tiana nodded. "Naveen is having a hard time believing Aladdin would steal from the princess and he's convinced someone set him up. Though, he can't figure out who."

Sadira bit her lip and looked down, nervously., but didn't say anything.

Tiana reached out and put her hand on Naveen's arm. "Baby, Sadira is going to stay with us for the night. She doesn't have anywhere else to go since Aladdin-"

Naveen quickly stood up, cutting Tiana off. He looked at Sadira as if he were seeing her standing there for the first time. "Sadira..." he repeated slowly. "It was _you_."

Sadira looked up at him. "It was me, what?"

"You set up Aladdin. You were with him right before he was arrested; you slipped the jewelry into his bag," Naveen accused.

Sadira narrowed her eyes at him. This was her chance to come clean, but she was too angry by Naveen's accusation to think clearly. "So were you!" she snapped.

Tiana raised an eyebrow at Sadira. "Naveen would never steal from Princess Jasmine."

"How could you do this to Aladdin?" Naveen asked. "Because of you Aladdin is locked up for a crime he didn't commit."

Sadira rolled her eyes. "Please! Aladdin is fine. Princess Jasmine isn't going to let anything happen to him since he's screwing her."

A look of pure anger filled Naveen's face and he stormed towards her. Sadira held her ground and glared at him.

"Don't talk like that about her!"

"I didn't realize you cared so much about our royalty," Sadira said, carefully. She had never seen Naveen angry before and she wasn't sure what he would do.

Tiana slowly sat up and came to Naveen's side. She put her hand on his chest to calm him. "Sadira, did you frame Aladdin?"

Sadira looked back and forth between Tiana and Naveen. "Of course not!"

"Liar!" Naveen shouted.

"Naveen..."

Naveen ignored Tiana's quiet warning. "I want you out of my house. Now!"

_:::::::::::::::::::::_

Meg leaned against the wall and watched over Aladdin as he slept. Jasmine was starting to believe he was innocent and was making sure none of the guards touched him. He slept more peacefully now than when he had first been brought to the cell, but Meg was still having trouble sleeping. It was hard for her to see one of her friends locked up like this. She had tried so hard not to get attached to any of the Street Rats; she was just going to stay with them for a short while until she had enough money to run away from Maldonia. But, she had been with longer than she had planned was beginning to see them as friends. Esmeralda played the motherly role well and did her best to take care of everyone, but Meg had to admit that Aladdin was the one who looked out for everyone the most. He was always the first to give up his food or money to someone else who needed it more and he was quick to take the blame for someone if they were caught. He was the protector of the group and now he was curled up on the floor of a jail cell with no one looking out for him. Meg reached through the bars and ran her hand over his hair. He didn't wake up or even stir.

"I'm sorry you're here, Aladdin," she whispered.

"Meg?"

Meg's cell door opened and Hercules quietly stepped inside. Meg's heart raced and she couldn't help smiling up at him. He knelt down beside her and ran his fingers over her cheek.

"Are you all right?" Hercules asked her.

Meg nodded. Hercules always asked her that whenever he came to see her. "I'm fine."

Hercules took her hand and helped her up. "Come with me."

Meg glanced down at Aladdin, then followed Hercules quietly out of her cell. They walked through the palace for a while before coming to a room in a secluded hallway. Hercules slowly opened the door and led Meg inside.

"I want you to have a room," Hercules told her.

Meg looked around the room, but it was too dark for her to make anything out. "Thank you."

"Unfortunately, it won't be much different than the cell; you still won't be able to leave. But, it's warmer and you'll have a bed."

Meg kept her hand in Hercules' and led him to the bed. She lied down and then pulled him down on top of her. Hercules positioned himself above her, then kissed her.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Hercules whispered.

"Me either." Meg slipped her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth back down to hers.

Hercules propped himself up on one hand while he removed his pants. Meg took a deep breath in anticipation. Hercules lowered his mouth to Meg's neck and kissed her as he gently entered her. Meg moaned and ran her nails down his back.

Every night was like this for Meg and she could honestly say she wouldn't trade it for anything.


	20. Chapter 20

Rapunzel snuggled up close to Flynn and he wrapped his arms around her. They were lying on her bed, taking a break from the chore list her mother had left. Rapunzel's long blonde hair had a floral scent to it and Flynn closed his eyes, taking it in. Rapunzel moved closer to him and he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. Rapunzel fit perfectly in his arms, as if she belonged there. In Flynn's mind, she did. Flynn had fallen hard and fast for Rapunzel and now he couldn't imagine living his life without her. More than once he had thought about asking her to marry him, but he never did. Flynn had no money and no skills that could get him proper job, so he wouldn't be able to provide for her or take care of her.

"I want to stay like this forever," Rapunzel said, quietly.

"I'd like that, too; but your mother will be home soon."

Rapunzel propped herself up on her elbow and rested her head in her hand. "Flynn, what are _your_ parents like? You never talk about them."

Flynn shifted uncomfortably. "I don't remember. I'm an orphan; my parents died when I was a kid. I grew up in an orphanage until I was eighteen, then I was out on the streets. I was on my own for a year until I met Esmeralda and she and I started the Street Rats."

"So, the Street Rats are your family," Rapunzel said, running her fingers over Flynn's chest.

"Yeah. There's only three of now, though. Aladdin and Meg were arrested and Sadira left. So, now it's just me, Esmeralda and Jim."

"I'd like to meet them sometime."

"Are you sure? None of us are exactly 'good citizens'."

Rapunzel giggled. "I don't care about that; I care about _you. _They're your family and I'd like to meet them."

"All right." Flynn sat up. "We'll go now."

The two of them left Rapunzel's house and made their way to the hideout. The sun had already set and it was quickly getting dark. Rapunzel's mother would be home soon, so they had to make the visit short.

"Do you think they'll like me?" Rapunzel asked.

"Of course."

Rapunzel followed Flynn up the ladder and then he helped her inside. Esmeralda and Jim were talking to Esmeralda's boyfriend, Phoebus, but they all stopped talking as soon as they saw Rapunzel. It was obvious Rapunzel was now feeling a little nervous.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Rapunzel," Flynn introduced. "Rapunzel, this is Jim, Esmeralda and Esmeralda's boyfriend, Phoebus."

"It's nice to meet you," Rapunzel said, meekly.

Esmeralda gave her a warm smile and walked over to her. "It's great to finally meet you, Rapunzel. We've heard so much about you."

"You're all Flynn talks about," Jim added.

Rapunzel blushed and Flynn put his arm around her.

"Did we interrupt something?" Flynn asked.

Esmeralda gave Rapunzel a wary look. "Um... No."

Flynn glanced at Phoebus. "Is tonight...?"

Esmeralda nodded. She had been telling Flynn and Jim for the last couple weeks that Phoebus was going to help Aladdin and Meg escape but up to this point Jim and Flynn hadn't believed he would actually follow through with it. Flynn still wasn't convinced, but Esmeralda and Jim looked hopeful and he knew it was really the only option they had to help their friends.

_:::::::::::::::::::::_

The only person Aladdin saw all day was the guard who brought him dinner. Meg was gone when he woke up in the morning and Jasmine didn't come to see him that day. For the first time in a while Aladdin actually felt alone. He thought about Jasmine mostly. He wondered what the future held for them; if they even had a future. She was a princess and he was a Street Rat, what kind of life could they really have together? Would he even ever get out of this cell or is his fate to stay here until he dies and eventually be forgotten about by his friends and Jasmine?

The door to the dungeon slowly opened and Aladdin looked anxiously towards it, hoping to see Jasmine. Instead, though, it was just another guard. The guard walked over to Aladdin's cell.

"Are you Aladdin?" the guard asked, quietly.

"Yes."

The guard pulled out a ring of keys and quickly unlocked his cell. "My name is Phoebus; I'm here to help you escape."

Aladdin slowly stood up and took a step back as Phoebus stepped inside his cell. "Is this some sort of trap?"

"No. Esmeralda sent me." Phoebus glanced at the empty cell next to Aladdin's. "Where's Meg?"

"I don't know," Aladdin replied, carefully. "She hasn't been down here all day."

"Well, I don't have much time, so we gotta go now."

Phoebus walked out of the cell and waited for Aladdin to follow him. Aladdin was still hesitant about trusting this guard, but he followed him out, anyway.

With Phoebus' help, getting out was much easier than Aladdin had been expecting. There were a series of unguarded tunnels that led right out of the castle that Phoebus was able to navigate with very little difficulty. When they finally made it outside, Aladdin couldn't help glancing back, wondering what happened to Meg. Although, part of him knew she was probably with Hercules.

"We have to keep moving," Phoebus whispered as they hurried away from the castle.

Phoebus stuck with Aladdin until they made it back to the hideout to make sure nothing happened to him.

"Thanks for your help," Aladdin told Phoebus.

Phoebus nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't get your friend out, as well."

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure she's fine," Aladdin said. "I don't mean to push my luck, but why did you help me?"

"Esmeralda asked me to."

Aladdin raised an eyebrow. "How do you know Esmeralda?"

"She's my fiancee. She agreed to runaway with me if I helped you escape."

Aladdin frowned. Esmeralda was planning on leaving them?


	21. Chapter 21

"Aladdin!"

Aladdin was barely inside the hideout when Esmeralda rushed over to him and gave him a hug. Aladdin hugged her back and then they moved out of the way so Phoebus could come in as well.

"Oh, Phoebus, thank you so much!" Esmeralda flung her arms around Phoebus' neck and kissed him.

Aladdin frowned at them and walked away from them. Jim glanced anxiously behind Aladdin and Phoebus for Meg, but she wasn't there.

"Where's Meg?" Jim asked.

Esmeralda and Flynn looked at Phoebus.

"You didn't get her out?" Flynn asked.

"She wasn't there," Phoebus replied.

Now everyone looked at Aladdin. Esmeralda and Flynn looked concerned but Jim's expression was mixed with anger, panic and fear.

"What happened to Meg?" Jim asked.

Aladdin looked back and forth at each of his friends. He knew it wasn't his place to tell them about Meg and Hercules, but he thought they had a right to know. He took a deep breath and finally answered Jim's question.

"I don't know for sure; she was just gone this morning. However..." Aladdin paused and ran his hand through his hair.

"However, what?" Jim demanded.

Aladdin gave Jim a sympathetic look. "I think she's with Hercules."

"Why would she be with Hercules?" Esmeralda asked.

Aladdin didn't take his eyes off Jim. "Hercules has taken Meg as his mistress."

Jim narrowed his eyes at Aladdin. "You're lying!"

Aladdin put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "I'm not. She told me herself."

Jim shoved Aladdin away from him. "No. Meg hates him, she would never sleep with him."

Aladdin thought about telling him that Meg thinks she loves Hercules, but he decided it would be better not to.

Esmeralda's face went pale. "Is he taking her against her will?"

"No."

Now Jim was close to tears. He shook his head and ran out of the hideout.

"Jim!" Esmeralda called after him.

"He'll be fine," Flynn said.

Aladdin looked around the hideout, grateful to be back. It was then that he noticed Sadira wasn't there.

"Where's Sadira?" Aladdin asked.

Esmeralda shrugged. "She left right after she told us you were arrested and we haven't seen her since."

"She just left?"

"Yeah. I think she was only here because of you," Esmeralda said.

"Right." Aladdin didn't believe that. He knew Sadira didn't have anywhere else to go and she wouldn't just leave here... unless she felt like she couldn't return here. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

"Are you crazy?" Flynn demanded. "You just escaped from the dungeon and you're just gonna go wander around?"

"I agree, Aladdin; that's not a good idea," Esmeralda said.

"I'm going."

Aladdin pushed past his friends and made his way out of the hideout. He didn't know for sure where Sadira would be, but he guessed she would be somewhere near her parents' house. She often went to the alley behind their house when things were hard for her and she was feeling homesick.

Aladdin found Sadira hidden in the shadows directly behind their house. She was curled up in a tight ball with her arms wrapped around her. It was obvious she was freezing and Aladdin almost felt bad for her. Almost.

"Sadira?"

Sadira opened her eyes and quickly stood up when she saw Aladdin. "Aladdin, is that really you?"

"Yes."

"How did you get out?"

"I had to escape since the real thief never came forward." Aladdin studied Sadira carefully as he said this. A look of guilt flashed across Sadira's face. She quickly lowered her head so Aladdin didn't see it, but it was too late. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"What? No!"

"Sadira..." Aladdin's voice was more stern now. "Tell the truth."

"I didn't do it."

"Sadira!" Aladdin was practically shouting now. "I know you better than anyone else; you can't lie to me. Why did you do it?"

"Aladdin, I'm sorry." Sadira's tone was quiet, but defensive. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Why, Sadira?" Aladdin repeated.

"It's just that..." Sadira bit her lip. "I saw you kissing the princess and it felt like you were betraying me. I wanted to make you pay."

"Were you ever going to come forward?"

"I- I don't know."

"You were just going to let me rot in there for _your _crime?"

Sadira rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. You're banging the princess; she would never let anything happen to you. But if it was me, she'd have my hand cut off- or worse."

Aladdin took a step closer to Sadira and glared at her. "I never want to see you again."

__:::::::::::::::::::::_  
><em>

Jim had managed to climb over the wall around the castle and was now standing right outside it. He looked up at it looming in front of him. Somewhere behind those dark windows was Meg. He could just picture lying on a bed with silk sheets, her brown hair fanned out over the fancy pillow. Of course, she was sleeping alone since Hercules was no doubt still sleeping with his wife.

Jim tore his eyes away from the castle. The whole situation made him feel sick. Why would Meg willingly agree to this? It was a common known fact that princes only take mistresses to bear children; they never actually care about the other woman.

Another thought crept into Jim's head: did Meg love Hercules?

A light came on in a nearby window, casting a dim glow over Jim. He quickly ducked into the shadows to keep from being spotted. The window slowly opened and to Jim's surprise Meg stuck her head out. She was wearing a pink satin nightgown and her long brown hair hung loosely down over shoulders and chest. She glanced behind her, then looked up at the sky like she had done every night at the hideout.

If Jim took just two steps towards the window, he'd be close enough to touch Meg. He debated whether or not he should let her know he was there. Without thinking, he moved closer. He reached out and touched her hand. Meg gasped and quickly pulled her hand away.

Jim stepped out of the shadows. "It's just me."

"Jim, what the hell! You scared you me! What are you doing out there?" Meg demanded.

"I was worried about you. Aladdin told us about you and Hercules."

Meg's eyes lit up a little bit. "Aladdin's out?"

Jim nodded. He didn't want to talk about Aladdin, though. "Is it true; has Hercules taken you as his mistress?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you leave? Why stay here and let him treat you like crap?"

"He's very kind to me, Jim. We were all wrong about him."

"Do you love him?"

Meg smiled to herself. "I think I do."

Jim felt as if her words had slapped him. "He doesn't love you. He's just using you."

Meg leaned against the window frame. "I know."

"Leave with me, Meg."

Meg slowly shook her head. "And go back to that rundown apartment? Go back to struggling to survive? I don't think so, Jim. Hercules may not love me, but he takes care of me. I have a bed here and hot meals."

"For now. What's going to happen when he no longer has any use for you?"

"I'll worry about that when the time comes."

"You shouldn't have to worry about that," Jim told her. "I make enough money at the tavern that I could take care of you."

Meg gave him a small smile, then leaned out the window so her face was only a few inches above Jim's. "Jim listen to me, you're only eighteen; you should only have to worry about taking care of yourself. I'm capable of taking care of myself; I'll be just fine."

"But you don't have to take care of yourself. You're not alone anymore, Meg. I'm here for you."

Meg slowly straightened up and her face became serious. "You're just a kid."


	22. Chapter 22

Jasmine woke up in the middle of the night. She rolled over to snuggle up to Hercules but found that he was not in the bed. She sat up and looked around the bedroom, but didn't see him. Jasmine got out of bed, slipped on her slippers and robe and made her way through the palace. She eventually found him sitting in the throne room. All of the candles in the room were lit, casting a soft glow over her husband.

"Hercules?"

Hercules slowly looked up and Jasmine could see that he had been crying. Jasmine sat down in her own seat and took his hand.

"What is it dear?" Jasmine asked.

"My father's health has gotten drastically worse. The doctor says he only has a couple days left; if that. I could lose him anytime now."

Tears trickled down Hercules' face and Jasmine kissed his hand. She knew her husband well enough to know he didn't want words from her right now; he just needed to know she was there.

"I'll be king soon," Hercules said after several minutes of silence. He slowly stood up and slipped his hand out of Jasmine's. "I have a lot of preparation to do."

Without another word, Hercules started walking out of the room.

"Hercules?" Jasmine called after him.

Hercules stopped and turned to look at her. Jasmine stood and walked over to him. "Yes?"

Jasmine took Hercules' hands. "Hercules, I'm here if you need me. But, if you need Meg more, I understand."

Hercules stared at her for a moment. He then leaned forward, kissed her forehead and walked away.

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

Meg sat nervously on the table in the nurse's office, waiting for the nurse to return. For the last few days Meg had been feeling very sick and weak and gone to see Nurse Sarah. Sarah had taken several tests and now Meg was back to get the results of the tests.

"Good morning, Megara," Nurse Sarah greeted as she walked into the office. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap, actually," Meg replied.

Sarah nodded. "I'm not surprised. Megara-"

"Call me Meg."

"Meg, I have some news for you."

Meg frowned. "Am I dying?"

Sarah let out a small laugh and shook her head. "No, of course not. Meg, you're pregnant."

"I'm pregnant?" Meg repeated. She let a smile escape from her lips as she looked down and ran her hands over her stomach.

"Congratulations," Sarah said.

Meg looked back up at her. "Have you told..."

"The Prince? No. I'll let you tell him."

"I can't believe I'm going to have a baby. It's so exciting and at the same time so scary," Meg said. "I don't know anything about raising a child."

Sarah put a reassuring hand on Meg's. "Don't worry; you'll do great. Once this baby is born, your instincts will kick in and you'll know what to do."

"Do you have any children?" Meg asked.

A sad look crossed Sarah's face and she slowly pulled her hand away. "Yes."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine. I have an eighteen-year-old son, but he ran away a couple months ago and I haven't seen or heard from him since then."

"What's his name?"

Sarah opened her locket and showed Meg a picture of her son. "Jim. I worry about him constantly; I have no idea if he's okay or if he's even alive."

Meg couldn't take her eyes off the picture of Jim. "Sarah, I know your son."

Sarah's eyes lit up. "You do?"

Meg nodded. "A friend of mine took him in when she found him on the streets. I assure you he's all right."

Meg thought about telling Sarah where Jim was working so she could see him, but she knew it wasn't her place to do that. She also didn't want to risk anyone finding the Street Rats hideout.

Sarah smiled in relief. "I'm so happy to hear that. Next time you see him, will you please tell him I miss him and love him very much?"

"Of course."

When Meg returned to her room, she immediately lied down on her bed and put her hands on her stomach. She couldn't wait to tell Hercules about their baby. Her excitement subsided a little, though, when she thought about Sarah. Meg couldn't even imagine how she would feel if her child ran away and she had no idea what happened to him. She knew the next time she saw Jim she had to convince him to go home or at least see his mother.

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

That night Meg woke up to the sound of tapping on her window. She knew without even opening her eyes that it was Jim. He had come to visit her a couple times since he found out where her bedroom window was. Meg climbed out of bed and walked over to her window. She carefully opened it and stuck her head out.

"Jim, I'm glad you came."

"You are?"

Meg nodded. "Yes. There's something I really have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I saw your mom this morning. She's worried sick about you and misses you; you need to see her."

Jim shook his head. "My priority is you, Meg. I'll see my mom when I know you're properly taken care of."

Meg smiled at him. "You don't have to worry about that anymore, Jim. I know Hercules is going to take care of me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'm pregnant with his baby."

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

Jim's heart felt as if it was continuously being ripped apart. He had to leave Meg's window right away to keep from letting her see him cry. He stormed back to the hideout and didn't even bother trying to be quiet as he climbed inside. Aladdin woke up immediately and tried to keep Jim quiet so the rest of their friends could sleep.

"How could he do this?" Jim demanded, plopping down on the ground.

"How could who do what?" Aladdin whispered.

"Hercules!" Jim hissed. "He got Meg pregnant and he's taking her away from me."


	23. Chapter 23

_Where is Hercules?_ Jasmine thought as she anxiously looked around the throne room. The guards were bringing in another thief and he needed to be there for the sentencing. Jasmine waited as long as she could for her husband to join her, but eventually she had the thief brought in.

"Bring in the thief," Jasmine instructed.

To Jasmine's surprise the thief walked in a head of the guards, unshackled and confident. She had raggedy clothes, dirty face and dark brown hair.

"Your Highness," one guard said, "this woman confessed and came willingly."

Jasmine looked at the woman, who was now on her knees. "What is your name?"

"Sadira, your Highness."

"Sadira," Jasmine repeated. "What did you steal?"

Sadira glanced up at the princess. "Your jewelry, Majesty. I stole your jewelry and framed Aladdin."

A mix of emotions swirled through Jasmine all at once. She was angry that this woman had stolen from her, shocked that she confessed, a little confused, but mostly she was relieved that Aladdin had been telling the truth.

"Leave us," Jasmine told the guards. They each gave her a small bow and then left the room. She then turned back to Sadira. "Why did you do it?"

Sadira clasped her hands together and looked down. "I love Aladdin and I couldn't stand seeing him with you instead of me. I was just trying to get back at him."

"You saw us?"

Sadira nodded. "Yes, Highness."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"No."

Jasmine gave Sadira a wary look and then called the guards back in. "Take her down to the dungeon. There you will break her hand and then release her; nothing more shall happen to her. Do you understand?"

The guards acknowledged that they understood and then led Sadira away. Jasmine sighed and slumped down in her chair. Only a moment had passed when a loud scream rang throughout the palace. Jasmine jumped to her feet and ran towards the scream. She guessed the scream had come from the dining room and when she entered the room and saw one of the maids crying on the floor she saw she had been correct. Jasmine knelt down next to the maid and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Jasmine asked.

The maid looked up at Jasmine with fear and sadness in her eyes. "Oh, princess, I'm so sorry. I don't know how it happened."

"How what happened? What are you talking about?"

With a shaky finger, the maid pointed towards the other side of the table. Jasmine stood up and slowly walked to where the maid was pointing. Hercules was lying on the floor as if he had fallen out of his chair. His body wasn't moving and his blue eyes were staring lifelessly up at the ceiling. Jasmine gripped the chair to keep herself balance.

"He's dead, princess. Someone poisoned him."

Jasmine's legs gave out and she collapsed on the floor. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no..."

Jasmine put her hand on Hercules' chest but she felt no movement from breathing and no heartbeat.

"Hercules!" Jasmine cried out, banging her fist on his chest. "Please wake up! Hercules!"

It was then that more people streamed into the dining room, also attracted to the maid's scream. Jasmine ignored them, however, and started sobbing. She rested her head on her husband's still body and gripped his shirt as the tears poured from her eyes. She was instantly surrounded by people. Someone lifted her to her feet while a couple men picked up Hercules.

"Someone has to tell the king."

"I'll do it," Jasmine said through her tears.

Jasmine pushed everyone away from her then slowly made her way up to the king's bedroom. Two guards stood outside the door, but they stepped aside when Jasmine approached. She took a deep breath and stepped inside the dark room. She carefully walked across the room and stood over the bed.

"Jasmine, is that you?" the king asked in a quiet, weak voice.

"Yes." Jasmine tried to sound strong, but she knew it must have been obvious that she was crying.

"What is it, dear?" The king patted the edge of the bed and Jasmine sat down.

Jasmine took his thin, frail hand in hers and kissed it. "It's Her-Hercules. Someone poisoned him and he-he-he's d-dead."

The king frowned and tears filled his eyes. "Did he leave behind an heir?"

Jasmine involuntarily put her hand over her stomach. "No."

The king nodded. "Jasmine, listen to me." He tried to sit up, but he was too weak. "There is another rightful heir to my throne."

The king went into a coughing fit and Jasmine could tell he was fading fast.

"Who is it?" Jasmine asked.

"My daughter."

Jasmine was more than surprised to hear this. "You have a daughter?"

"After my wife became ill, I took on a mistress. She gave birth to a daughter and I made her promise she would never tell anyone about our affair and our daughter. Not even Hercules knew about her. Traditionally in a situation like this, you would rule until Hercules' heir became king. But, since he does not have one, my daughter must take the throne as queen."

"Who is your daughter? What is her name?"

The king whispered something, but Jasmine couldn't hear him, so she leaned closer to him. The king whispered the girl's name into her ear and then died.

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

"How are you feeling today, Meg?" Sarah asked.

"I still get the morning sickness, but it's not as bad."

"That's good to hear."

Because of her morning sickness, Hercules insisted that Meg visit Nurse Sarah every couple days to make sure everything was all right for her and their baby.

Sarah helped Meg down from the table. She was about to say something to Meg when the door slammed open and several men burst inside. They were carrying a body, but Meg couldn't see who it was until they set the body on the table. When she saw Hercules, Meg put a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

"What happened?" Sarah asked.

"He was murdered by being poisoned."

Meg slowly reached out to touch Hercule's face, but one of the men slapped her hand away.

"How dare you?" the man snapped. "You are not allowed to touch the prince, even in death." He shoved Meg towards the door. "Be gone, commoner!"

Meg stumbled out into the hallway and hurried up to her room. Once she was safe in bed she wrapped her arms around her stomach and started crying.


	24. Chapter 24

Rapunzel was just about to get changed for bed when she heard glass shatter in her mother's bedroom. Rapunzel made her way out of her own room to check on her. Mother Gothel was standing in the middle of her room with a broken mirror laying on the floor in front of her.

"Mother, are you all right?" Rapunzel asked.

Gothel didn't look up from the mirror. "The whore is pregnant."

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"The Prince got his mistress knocked up," Gothel muttered.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Rapunzel asked. "The kingdom needs an heir."

"The kingdom _has _an heir." Gothel shook her head. "No, no, no. This is all wrong. With the king and the prince dead-"

"The prince is dead?"

Gothel finally looked up at Rapunzel. "Yes; it was supposed to be good news, but that whore ruined everything."

"Mother, I don't understand."

Gothel walked over to Rapunzel and gently stroked her daughter's hair. "A long time ago, after the queen fell ill, the king took me as his mistress and I became pregnant with you. With the king and the prince both dead and no heir from the prince, _you _are to be the next heir to the kingdom. But since Hercules left behind an heir, Jasmine will reign until the child is old enough."

Rapunzel just stared at her mother. None of this was making sense. How could _she _be a princess?

"If it wasn't for that bastard child you would become queen and you and I could live the royal life..." Gothel's voice trailed off. Her eyes suddenly lit up of with mischief. "I have to get rid Meg and her baby; that's the only way."

"G-get rid of them how?" Rapunzel was almost afraid to ask.

Gothel took a step back. "With the same poison I gave the prince."

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

"Flynn, wake up!"

Esmeralda's eyes flew open at the sound of the panicked voice crying out from across the hideout. She sat up to see Rapunzel bent over Flynn, shaking him. Aladdin and Jim were also just waking up.

"Rapunzel, what is going on?" Esmeralda asked.

Rapunzel looked over at Esmeralda with frightened eyes. "My mother killed the prince and she's planning to kill Meg tonight."

The Street Rats immediately sprung to their feet and quickly got dressed. Jim was the first one out of the hideout and everyone followed after him.

"Why is she doing this?" Esmeralda asked Rapunzel.

"My mother was the king's mistress and I'm his daughter. In the event of both the king's and prince's death and the prince doesn't leave behind an heir, I take the throne. But since Meg is pregnant with Hercules' baby..." Rapunzel let her voice trail off when she realized no one knew Meg was pregnant, except Jim.

"Do you know how she's going to do it?" Aladdin asked.

"Poison."

Flynn suddenly came to an abrupt stop. Rapunzel stopped, too, but everyone else kept running.

"What is it?" Rapunzel asked.

"This whole time you've been a princess and didn't tell me?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "I didn't find out until tonight. I had no idea, I swear. But, we don't have time to discuss this right now; we have to save Meg."

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

Meg couldn't sleep. How could she? The father of her baby was dead...murdered. Meg sat down on the window seat in her room and placed her hands over her stomach. Of course along with her grief was fear. Now that Hercules was gone, what was going to happen to her and her baby? Would she be able to stay since her baby is the heir to the throne? Would Jasmine kick her out?

Meg suddenly found herself wishing Jim would come visit her again. It would help to see a friendly face right now.

A light knocking on her door tore Meg from her thoughts.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened and an older woman with curly black hair came inside. She was holding a tray with a cup of tea on it.

"I'm Gothel; an aide to the princess," the woman said. "She asked me to bring some tea to you for your baby."

Meg didn't really like tea, but she was in no position to pass up something sent up from the princess, so she took the cup off the tray. She wrapped her hands around the cup and had to admit the warmth alone made her feel a little better.

"Drink it while it's still hot, dear," Gothel told her.

Meg nodded and looked down at the inviting liquid. It did smell good; perhaps just a little wouldn't be so bad. She was about to take a sip when an eager tapping on her window distracted her. She looked over to see Jim standing outside. Meg opened the window and to her surprise saw a girl she didn't know standing with Jim. Meg jumped to her feet and backed away from the window as Jim forced his way inside.

"What are you doing here?" Meg asked.

Jim looked angrily at Gothel, but neither of them said anything.

"What is going on?" Meg demanded.

"Rapunzel?" Gothel questioned the girl. "What are you doing here, dear?"

"We're here to stop you," Rapunzel said.

Gothel looked genuinely confused. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Where did you get that?"

Meg looked away from Rapunzel and Gothel to face Jim. His eyes were fixed on the cup of tea in Meg's hands.

"Gothel gave it to me."

Jim immediately grabbed the tea from Meg and smashed the cup on the floor. Meg jumped back to avoid the shattered glass.

"You stupid boy," Gothel said, starting towards Jim.

Rapunzel placed herself in front of Gothel. "Leave him alone, mother. It's over."

"I'm not the bad guy here, Rapunzel. I'm just trying to claim what's rightfully yours."

"If this is the only way to get it, then I don't want it," Rapunzel stated. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone."

Anger filled Gothel's face. "You will _not _stand in the way of me getting the life I deserve."

Gothel shoved Rapunzel hard and she fell. Her head hit the floor and she was knocked unconscious.

"I was hoping to take care of this without making a mess, but I see that's not going to happen," Gothel said, walking towards Meg.

"Will someone please tell me what's going?" Meg demanded.

"You and your baby are standing in the way of my daughter taking her place on the throne," Gothel explained. She quickly drew a knife out from her sleeve. "But not for long."

Without hesitation, Gothel aimed her knife for Meg's stomach, but at the last moment Jim placed himself in front of Meg and Gothel stabbed him instead. Jim fell to the floor and clutched his stomach.

"Jim!" Meg screamed.

Her bedroom door flew open and the Street Rats barged in, but Meg barely noticed. She sank to her knees beside Jim. He was still alive, but losing a lot of blood. She pressed her hands over his wound, trying to stop the blood flow.

There were tears in Jim's eyes as he reached up and put his hand on Meg's cheek. She knew he was getting his blood on her face, but she didn't care.

"Meg..." Jim whispered.

Meg let her own tears fall from her eyes as she pressed harder on his wound. "You're gonna be all right, Jim. I promise."

Jim gently stroked his thumb across Meg's cheek and she could tell he was getting weaker.

"Meg, I'm sorry for... for the way I've acted."

Meg shook her head. "It's okay."

Meg wanted so badly to touch Jim affectionately, but she was too afraid to lessen the pressure she was putting on his wound.

"I love you, Meg."

Fresh tears streamed down Meg's cheeks. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I love you, too, Jim."

When Meg sat up, Jim's eyes were closed and he was no longer moving. His limp hand started to slowly slip from her cheek and she desperately gripped it in order to still feel his touch.

"Jim, no," Meg pleaded. "You can't leave me. I can't lose both of you."

Esmeralda knelt down beside Meg and put her hand on her shoulder. Flynn and Aladdin carefully picked Jim up and started carrying him away.

"Where are you taking him?" Meg asked, fearfully.

"To the nurse," Aladdin replied quietly.

Esmeralda wrapped her arms around Meg and pulled her close.

"Jim is..." Meg couldn't bring herself to say the word.

"Shh," Esmeralda whispered, stroking Meg's hair. "I know. It's gonna be okay, Meg."

Meg buried her face against Esmeralda's shoulder. "No. You don't understand; I really do love him."


	25. Chapter 25

**Epilogue: One month later...**

Jasmine set a vase of flowers on a small table below the window and took in their aroma one more time before looking outside at the yard. It was a decent-sized back yard that led straight to the forest behind the house. Jasmine smiled to herself.

After the night when Gothel tried to kill Meg everything happened so quickly. Gothel was arrested and beheaded for killing the prince. Esmeralda and Phoebus ran away together. Rapunzel moved into the palace and invited Meg to stay with her. Rapunzel and Flynn got married and became princess and prince of Maldonia. Jasmine was offered to stay in the palace as well, but she wanted to start a new life with Aladdin. After a lot of insisting from Rapunzel, the council deemed Jasmine to still be part of the royal family and she was given an obscene amount of money. She gave half of it to her brother and then bought a house for herself and Aladdin.

And then there was Jim. After being stabbed, Jim was immediately taken to see Nurse Sarah who, of course, was his mother. She did everything she could and was able to save him. He returned home with her, where he was now currently living. A romance formed between him and Meg. Meg plans on giving her baby to Rapunzel after it's born so it can stay in the royal family and then she and Jim are going to start their own lives together.

"I look ridiculous."

Aladdin's voice brought Jasmine back to the present and she turned away from the window. Aladdin was wearing a black tuxedo with a purple bow tie and purple cummerbund that matched Jasmine's purple gown. Jasmine thought he looked handsome but since he had undoubtedly never dressed up before, she could understand why he thought he looked ridiculous.

"You look great," Jasmine told him before kissing his cheek.

"Are you sure? Today's kind of a big deal and I don't want to look like a jester... or a magician," Aladdin said, eyeing his reflection in the mirror hanging in the hallway.

"You're going to be the most handsome man there."

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

Esmeralda took Phoebus' hand as he helped her down from the carriage. They were escorted into the palace and then led to the vast throne room. Two red and gold velvet thrones were on a platform at the front of the room and marble benches were set up in neat rows in front of the platform. The room was already crowded and Esmeralda couldn't help feeling slightly overwhelmed since she had never been around so many royal people at one time. Phoebus, however, couldn't be more calm as they were led down the aisle to their reserved seats. Esmeralda sat down and adjusted her dress before looking around the room.

"Relax, Essie," Phoebus told her. "There's nothing for you to be anxious about. They're just people."

Esmeralda looked at him. "Rich, snobby people who look down their noses at poor people."

Phoebus took Esmeralda's hand in his. "You're not poor anymore, Esmeralda. And you never will be again; that life is behind you now."

Esmeralda smiled at her husband. She hadn't known she needed to be rescued, but in the end that's exactly what Phoebus had done. He took her off the streets, provided for her and took care of her. She no longer had anything to worry about.

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

"You look absolutely beautiful," Meg told Rapunzel after she finished adjusting the train on Rapunzel's gown.

"I'm so nervous," Rapunzel admitted.

"I don't blame you," Meg said, stepping beside Rapunzel. "Today's your coronation; you're about to be officially crowned queen."

Rapunzel frowned. "That didn't help."

Meg smiled at her. "You're gonna be fine. All you have to do is sit there while they put a crown on your head." Meg bit her lip. "Hmmm. You'll also probably have to try and keep Flynn awake during the council's ridiculously long speech."

Rapunzel giggled. "He's really having a hard time adjusting to all of this."

"Well, just a few weeks ago Flynn was a Street Rat and now he's about to be a king. It's a big change."

Rapunzel nervously twirled a strand of her hair. "I know how he feels. This is strange for me, too. I don't know anything about ruling a kingdom."

"You'll do great. You'll have the council to help you, as well as Jasmine. And you'll always have the Street Rats; no matter what."

There was a light knock on the door.

"That must be Jim," Meg said. "We'll see you after the coronation."

Rapunzel hugged Meg. "Thank you, Meg."

"You're welcome." Meg gently pulled away. "And I was serious about keeping Flynn awake; he's definitely going to get bored and he _will _fall asleep."

Rapunzel giggled again and nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him."

Meg gave Rapunzel's arm a reassuring squeeze and then made her way out of the room. Jim was waiting for her in the hallway and he, of course, looked handsome in his all black tuxedo. Meg couldn't help feeling a little frumpy since she was starting to show and there was a slight bulge under her gown now.

"You look stunning," Jim told her, as if he had been reading her mind.

As they walked down to the throne room, all Meg could think about was the fact that she was holding Jim's hand. She never thought she would actually fall in love with Jim Hawkins, especially since she had been so sure she loved Hercules. She been wrong though; she confused her lustful feelings for Hercules as love and didn't truly understand how it felt to love someone until she thought Jim was dead. When she found out he was alive she vowed to never take him for granted again.

__:::::::::::::::::::::__

The coronation was a beautiful ceremony. Esmeralda had cried, but all of the Street Rats knew she would. After all, she and Flynn had started this together and now they were both married and starting completely separate lives.

Meg had noticed Rapunzel keep Flynn from falling asleep twice, but she was subtle about it and Meg didn't think anyone else had noticed.

It was now time for the crowning. The Street Rats watched anxiously has Rapunzel and Flynn had fur and velvet robes draped over them and then were each handed scepters. Finally they both had a crown placed on their heads and they slowly stood up.

"I now give you Flynn and Rapunzel Rider; King and Queen of Maldonia."

**THE END.**

* * *

><p><em>Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story! It took me a while to finish this, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. I'm going to be working primarily on my novel and "The Minister's Reign" for now. My updates may be slower than usual since I'm going to be focusing more on my novel, however writer's block does hit and I'll be working on my Disney stories when that happens.<em>

_Thanks again!_  
><em>Meg Rider<em>


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